Israel Police were stoic as they dragged blue metal barriers into place at the entrances to Jerusalem’s iconic Mahane Yehuda open air market on Tuesday, ignoring questions and comments from journalists and other passersby alike.
The market is being closed as part of the government restrictions issued to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the country, as the rate of contagion among the population continues to gallop ahead despite the measures that have already been taken.
Some of the businesses in the market can remain open to take orders by phone, Whatsapp or internet and provide their produce to their customers by delivery, once the site itself has been closed to the public, according to the Kipa news website.
However, the restaurants, bars and cafes that were located in Mahane Yehuda will be closed for business just as other leisure and entertainment venues have been around the country.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Passover season, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon said, “This is going to be the saddest holiday we have ever had.”