Two months after it was closed as part of anti-coronavirus precautions, Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre remained closed to the public on Sunday, despite an earlier official announcement of its reopening.
Millions of pilgrims visit the church each year, but it was closed on March 25, ahead of the Easter holidays, as part of measures imposed to combat the spread of the COVID-19 disease in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Leaders of the three denominations that share the site had said in a joint statement on Saturday that it would reopen on May 24 “to the faithful for visits and prayers.”
They said that entry would be restricted to a maximum of 50 people at a time, “to those who have no fever or symptoms of infection and are wearing suitable face coverings.”
But on Sunday morning worshippers were denied entry, to the disappointment of several seen by AFP journalists at the scene.
Religious officials said that reopening was postponed but did not give a new date, hinting that there were difficulties in counting numbers in order to maintain social distancing.
One official told AFP that 50 clerics from various churches had come to pray, leaving no room for the public.
Another official said that it had been deemed preferable to wait for a further easing of Israeli restrictions so that 100 people could enter at a time.
Source: arabnews