MANILA, Philippines — Filipino pilgrims are advised to postpone their trips to the Holy Land to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease or COVID-19, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs advises all Filipinos planning to undertake pilgrimages to the Holy Land to postpone their trips until further notice,” read the statement.
The foreign affairs department said the Palestinian government ordered a temporary ban for tourists entering the West Bank including Bethlehem and Jericho.
The Israeli government also imposed restrictions to all travels to Bethlehem from Israel, the DFA added.
There are more than 100,000 people infected by the fatal disease globally, most of which are from mainland China.