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| - Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed by Christians to house Christ's tomb, was shut Wednesday, as Israel tightened movement restrictions and the Palestinians announced their first novel coronavirus death. The church, located in Jerusalem's Old City, was closed shortly after 5:00 p.m. (1500 GMT), as Israel imposed a series of new measures meant to curb the spread of the virus, including shutting down places of worship. "We have been informed of the closure. Our understanding is that it is for one week. We hope (the church) will reopen as soon as possible," said Wadie Abunassar, a spokesperson for the local clergy. "We hope to reopen by Easter," he told AFP. The shuttering of the church to the public comes a short time ahead of Easter celebrations to be held this year on the second weekend of April, and days after Muslim authorities closed the nearby Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site. The new restrictions to curb the virus spread in Israel prohibited residents from leaving their homes except to buy essentials such as food and medicine, to seek medical treatment or in some cases, for work. The measures were announced in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office Wednesday and will be in place for seven days. "Violating the prohibitions will constitute a criminal offense" the statement said, noting that police were tasked with enforcing the orders. "Individuals aged 60 and over, especially the elderly and at-risk groups, must remain at home and avoid putting themselves at risk by going out," it added. Netanyahu warned on Wednesday night that the situation could worsen quickly and require stricter measures. "In two weeks, we are liable to find ourselves with thousands of patients, many of whom will be in danger of death," he said in a televised address. "If we do not see an immediate improvement in the trend, there will be no alternative but to impose a complete lockdown." The number of Israelis who have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease reached 2,369 on Wednesday evening and five people have died in recent days after contracting the virus. Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank reported the territory's first death from the virus on Wednesday, with 60 cases recorded so far. The Palestinian Authority on Sunday banned all non-essential movements for 14 days to curb the spread of the disease. gl-jjm/sw
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