Thousands of pilgrims descend upon Bethlehem during the holiday season, but this year the coronavirus has cast a pall over the Christmas celebrations.
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Restaurants, hotels and souvenir shops are closed. The renowned Christmas tree lighting service will be limited to a small group of authorized people, as will church services on Christmas Eve.
Bethlehem's mayor, Anton Salman, said the famed Christmas tree lighting, scheduled on Thursday, will be limited to just 15 guests, including local mayors, the district governor and the Latin Patriarch and other clergy.
Midnight Mass, a solemn event led by the Latin Patriarch that is usually attended by religious leaders, local VIPs and hundreds of pilgrims from around the world, has also been scaled back, Salman said.
"No one can hold the responsibility of inviting large numbers of people to Christmas events," he said. "Nothing will be the same during the pandemic."
