Virus changes burials of Israelis and Palestinians

Deaths from the coronavirus pandemic are forcing Jews and Muslims in the Holy Land to change the way they bury and mourn their loved ones.

In Israel, the dead are normally laid to rest in a cloth smock and shroud, without a coffin.

But now the bodies of coronavirus victims are taken for ritual washing and wrapped in impermeable plastic. And burial workers like Yakov must wear full protective gear.

(SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) CHEVRA KADISHA WORKER IN TEL AVIV, YAKOV KURTZ, SAYING:

"Feelings are very much mixed. We don't know what to expect, we don't know how many dead we will have to tend to, there are really many fears in this regard. We all hope that we will carry out our mission in the best way possible, in the most professional and respectful manner for the deceased, for the family and for us."

Cremation -- which has been used in China for the bodies of victims -- is strictly forbidden in both Islam and Judaism. So bodies must be properly tended to, to allow for religious burial.

Ambulance drive Talal handled the body of the first Palestinian coronavirus death.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TALAL ABU EIDA , 56 YEAR-OLD AMBULANCE DRIVER, WHO HAS BURIED THE FIRST PALESTINIAN DEAD DUE TO CORONAVIRUS, SAYING:

"We totally sanitize the whole body, we put special cloths on the body. Then we bring two bags which are specifically used for coronavirus deaths and we put the body in an iron box and we bury it in the soil so people won't touch the body."

The virus has also affected mourning rituals. In Israel, funerals must now be held in an open space, with a maximum of 20 people. Bereaved Palestinians have turned to accepting condolences over social media.

And social distancing rules have changed the way people mourn, for now at least, in both faiths.