Virus halts Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem

Palm Sunday was privately marked in Jerusalem, after the traditional mass procession was called off amid coronavirus fears.

The mass was streamed online from the Latin Patriarchate Co-Cathedral in Jerusalem.

Inside the church, the ceremony was led by Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, with the number in attendance limited to ten.

In Israel, more than 8,000 people have contracted the coronavirus and 46 have died.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

The vast majority of people recover.