MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday, March 7, urged all Filipinos to postpone upcoming trips to the Holy Land “until further notice” as the 2019 novel coronavirus continues to spread worldwide.

The DFA issued the travel advisory as it announced that the Palestinian Authority was implementing a temporary ban prohibiting the entry of tourists to the West Bank, Bethlehem, and Jericho. The sites are among those frequented by tourists and hold significance for participants of prayer pilgrimages.

The DFA advised also the public to take note that the Israeli government is implementing measures to restrict all travels to Bethlehem from Israel.

“Prospective travelers are therefore advised to coordinate with their tour operators to avoid any inconvenience,” DFA said in an advisory.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are the latest to impose sweeping travel restrictions on holy sites to stem the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The sites see thousands of tourists and pilgrims each year, as it holds significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

The restrictions can be likened to those recently imposed by Saudi Arabia on “umrah” pilgrims who were set to visit Islam’s holiest sites.

Worldwide, the COVID-19 death toll stood at over 3,400 as of Saturday, while over 101,000 people had been infected across 84 countries.

The Philippines has recorded 5 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including the first death outside of China. Of the remaining 4, two have since recovered and left the country while one is currently being treated and another, in critical condition as of early Saturday morning. – Rappler.com