Death in the Holy Land - Coronavirus changes burial for Jews, Muslims

A worker walks at a cemetery where a special centre that prepares bodies of Jews who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is located in Tel Aviv, Israel March 31, 2020. Picture taken March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A rising death toll in the coronavirus crisis is forcing a change in Jewish and Muslim burial and mourning traditions in the Holy Land.

In Israel, Jewish dead are normally laid to rest in a cloth smock and shroud, without a coffin. Now, the bodies of coronavirus victims are taken for ritual washing - performed in full protective gear - wrapped in impermeable plastic.