Coronavirus reshaping global events

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Visitors to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, before it closed on Thursday. Associated Press/Photo by Mahmoud Illean

Schools, sporting events, and businesses around the world are operating under new restrictions as the COVID-19 outbreak expands. South African and Egyptian health officials confirmed their first cases on Thursday. The disease has infected more than 95,000 people globally and more than 3,200 have died, most of them in China. After a suspected infection at a hotel in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine’s Health Ministry shut down churches and mosques in the area, including the famous Church of Nativity.

What else has closed? The Italian government ordered all scheduled soccer games to take place without spectators until at least April 3. Italy also canceled school for 8.4 million students until March 15. Lebanon, Iraq, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates adopted similar measures.

Dig deeper: Read The Guardian’s report on all the sporting events affected by the new coronavirus.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks