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WORLD NEWS Saturday 14 March 2020
Religious services curbed across Mideast over virus fears

By JOSEPH KRAUSS or moderate symptoms, Ministry's guidelines, includ- of Lebanon's militant Hez- leased nearly 1,500 prison-
Associated Press such as fever and cough. ing with Sunday services. bollah, said in a speech fo- ers, around 900 of whom
JERUSALEM (AP) — Reli- For some, especially older It invited everyone to pray cused on the virus that his were pardoned. The move
gious authorities cancelled adults and people with for "those directly and indi- Iran-backed group would appeared aimed at pre-
or limited weekly prayer existing health problems, it rectly affected by this ma- put all its paramedics and venting the virus from
gatherings across the Mid- spreading inside detention
dle East on Friday to help facilities. It wasn't immedi-
prevent the spread of the ately clear if those released
new coronavirus as they included opposition activ-
encouraged the faithful to ists detained as part of Bah-
pray for those afflicted by rain's yearslong crackdown
the global pandemic. on all dissent.
Iran, which is mired in the Tiny, energy-rich Qatar shut
worst outbreak in the region, down all cinemas, theaters,
meanwhile announced an- museums, children's play
other 85 deaths, pushing its areas, gyms and wedding
total number of fatalities to halls overnight.
514 amid 11,364 confirmed Pakistan announced that
cases. The real number of all schools, colleges, univer-
cases might be even high- sities and seminaries would
er, as questions have been be closed until April 5. It
raised about authorities' also postponed an annual
transparency. military parade. Pakistan
Sudan reported its first has had 28 people test pos-
case, a man in his 50s who itive, including seven near
died Thursday after return- the border with Iran, where
ing from a recent visit to some 4,000 people return-
the United Arab Emirates. ing from Iran have been
The east African country is quarantined.
in disarray after the over- In Iran, state-run TV an-
throw of President Omar A firefighter disinfects a square against the new coronavirus, in western Tehran, Iran, Friday, March nounced that Ali Akbar Ve-
al-Bashir last year, and its 13, 2020. Associated Press layati was quarantined at
infrastructure has suffered home after testing positive
from decades of sanctions. for the virus. He is a close
Christian, Muslim and Jew- can cause more severe ill- levolence." medical capabilities at adviser to Ayatollah Ali
ish leaders in Jerusalem ness, including pneumonia. Hard-hit Iran has already the service of the country's Khamenei, Iran's 80-year-
said services would con- The vast majority of people cancelled Friday prayers health ministry. old supreme leader.
tinue to be held in the Holy recover from the new virus in major cities, and on Fri- "We should consider our- The outbreak has reached
Land but moved to limit in- and the COVID-19 illness it day Kuwait said all public selves at war" against the Iran's top officials, with its
door gatherings after the causes. prayers would be can- virus, he said. senior vice president, Cabi-
Israeli Health Ministry said But the rapid spread of the celled until further notice. Even in the Gaza Strip, net ministers, members of
they should not exceed 100 virus has caused worldwide Egypt ordered all mosques which has been under an parliament, Revolution-
people. alarm, tanking financial to limit Friday prayers, in- Israeli and Egyptian block- ary Guard members and
At the Western Wall in Jeru- markets, disrupting travel cluding the weekly sermon, ade since the Palestin- Health Ministry officials
salem, the holiest site where and leading to large-scale to no more than 15 min- ian militant group Hamas among those infected.
Jews can pray, authorities shutdowns in some areas. utes. The prayers usually last seized power in 2007, and In Israel, concerns about
limited entrance to en- Some 10,000 Muslim wor- around an hour. which has no reported the virus may lead to a
closed areas. But the West- shippers attended Friday Iraq, which has reported cases, many mosques kept brief respite from the year-
ern Wall Heritage Founda- prayers at the Al-Aqsa more than 93 confirmed prayers to 15 minutes and long political deadlock be-
tion, which oversees the mosque compound in Is- cases of coronavirus and urged worshippers to take tween Prime Minister Ben-
site, said there would be raeli-annexed east Jerusa- nine deaths so far, has precautions. jamin Netanyahu and his
no restrictions in the main lem, according to Sheikh scrapped Friday prayers The moves to limit prayers main rival, former military
plaza as it is a "wide, open Omar Kiswani, the direc- in the Shiite holy city of come on the heels of sever- chief Benny Gantz, after
space." tor of the mosque. Most Karbala. Iraq's most influen- al cancellations of sporting three inconclusive elec-
In recent days the foun- prayed in outdoor court- tial Shiite cleric, Ayatollah events, conferences and tions.
dation has encouraged yards, heeding the advice Ali al-Sistani, whose Friday other gatherings world- Netanyahu, who is set to
people to join in special of Muslim officials who sermon from Karbala pro- wide. face trial on corruption al-
prayers for victims of the warned against crowding vides guidance for millions, Dubai announced that a legations next week, has
virus, which has infected inside the mosques them- last week urged people to major horse race planned called for an emergency
more than 130,000 people selves. abide by a ban on mass for March 28 would be national government to
worldwide and caused A short, 13-minute sermon prayers. held without spectators. combat the pandemic,
more than 5,000 deaths. was devoted to raising In Lebanon, Friday prayers The Dubai World Cup is and Gantz has said he is
Israel's chief Sephardic awareness on how to pre- have been temporar- the world's richest purse for open to the idea. They are
rabbi, Yitzhak Yosef, mean- vent the spread of the virus. ily suspended in all Shiite horse racing, with a $12 mil- expected to hold talks in
while urged people to stop The site is the third holiest mosques. The country's top lion prize last year. the coming days.
visiting the Western Wall, in Islam and the holiest for Sunni authority has said it is Bahrain indefinitely post- Israel has reported more
cancel mass prayers and Jews because it was the forbidden for anyone with poned its Formula One than 100 cases, with the
pray near their homes "until location of the Jewish tem- a contagious disease to at- Grand Prix motor race, numbers ticking up in re-
the wrath passes and mer- ples in antiquity. tend prayers and has urged which had been sched- cent days despite a num-
cy comes from heaven." The Latin Patriarchate in Je- elderly people and others uled to take place later this ber of tough measures tak-
For most people, the coro- rusalem called on church- at risk to pray at home. month. en in recent weeks to slow
navirus causes only mild es to enforce the Health Sayyed Hassan, the leader The Gulf monarchy also re- the spread of the virus.q