Jerusalem's Sepulchre church tells visitors to keep distance due to coronavirus

FILE PHOTO: A boy lights candles in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Leaders of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, revered as the site of Jesus's crucifixion and burial, urged worshippers on Saturday to maintain social distancing to help fight the coronavirus.

Church leaders at the ancient holy site in Jerusalem's walled Old City called on visitors to "avoid any act of devotion that might include physical contact such as touching and kissing the stones, touching icons, vestments and the personnel."