The Palestinian Authority has barred Filipino tourists and other nationals from 14 countries to enter Palestinian controlled territories to prevent the spread of the newest coronavirus strain COVID19.
A senior diplomatic official told the Filipino Times that the ban is affecting Filipino Christian pilgrims who wish to visit the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Jericho.
Any Palestinian or expatriate who traveled to the Philippines and 14 other countries are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
Palestine is one of the few Middle East countries which has not recorded any confirmed case of the novel coronavirus.
Thousands of Filipinos go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land every year to enrich their spiritual journey.
Israel, so far, has not placed any restrictions on Filipino tourists. It has two confirmed COVID-19 cases. Both were passengers from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise that was docked for two weeks in Yokohama, Japan.
