Israel, Palestine Scrambles After Tourists Infected With Coronavirus Visit Holy Sites

Israeli and Palestinian authorities are trying to quell fears of a potential local outbreak of the coronavirus.

South Korean pilgrims who had toured some of the holy land’s most popular sites were later found to be carrying the virus.

According to Reuters, nine tourists tested positive for coronavirus after returning to South Korea.

Earlier this month, they visited holy sites including Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry called an emergency meeting to assess the impact of what it called “the pilgrims affair." South Korea on Saturday reported a jump in the number of new coronavirus cases in the country.