Palestinian PM announces 2 week lockdown in WBank

The Palestinian Prime Minister announced a two-week lockdown in the West Bank on Thursday in order to stop a fresh coronavirus outbreak.

The latest lockdown appears certain to curtail Christmas celebrations in the town of Jesus' birth. Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced that there will be a nighttime curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. throughout the West Bank. The restrictions, which will remain in effect through Jan. 2, will greatly restrict travel throughout the West Bank and force most businesses to close, with the exception of pharmacies and bakeries.

Now, public celebrations in Bethlehem, revered by Christians at Jesus' birthplace, will have to be greatly scaled back. Shtayyeh, speaking in a news conference in Ramallah, said the government is "striving to diversify the sources of its access" to potential coronavirus vaccines being developed worldwide.