Coronavirus Dampens Christmas Joy in Bethlehem and Elsewhere

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — A stream of marching bands joyously paraded through Bethlehem, but few people were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened Christmas Eve celebrations in the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

Similar subdued scenes have been repeated across the world. Festive family gatherings and packed prayers that typically mark the holiday have been scaled back or canceled altogether.

In Australia, worshippers had to book tickets online to attend socially distanced church services. Pope Francis is set to celebrate Mass in the near-empty Vatican basilica early in the evening, hours before a nationwide curfew goes into effect.