FILE PHOTO: A member of the civil defense team sprays disinfectant to sanitize an area in the neighbourhood of the house of the person who was diagnosed with coronavirus and died, in Kerbala, Iraq, March 7, 2020. REUTERS/Abdullah Dhiaa al-Deen
March 12, 2020
KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraq canceled Friday prayers in the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala due to concerns about the coronavirus, a statement from the administration of the city’s holy site said on Wednesday.
Kerbala, like the neighboring holy city of Najaf, attracts Shi’ites pilgrims from Iraq and abroad. Prayers had already been canceled last Friday.
(Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Peter Graff)
