The city of Bethlehem was on lockdown on Friday, after the first Palestinian cases of the deadly coronavirus were discovered there. The Palestinian government announced a month-long state of emergency late Thursday after the seven cases were identified. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh made a special broadcast to announce the lockdown, saying the measures were essential to contain the disease. All but essential travel between Palestinian governorates was now prohibited, while all schools and educational facilities would close, he said. Public parks and tourist sites would close while large sporting events, conferences and other major gatherings were cancelled, Shtayyeh added. The Israeli defense ministry said it had imposed emergency measures on Bethlehem, with all people "forbidden from entering or leaving the city". It added that the lockdown had been imposed "in coordination with the Palestinian Authority". The Church of the Nativity, built on the site that Christians believe was the birthplace of Jesus, was closed on Thursday and is among places expected to be shuttered for a month. All tourist buses to and from Bethlehem were banned until further notice, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. The streets in Bethlehem and Ramallah, where the Palestinian government is based, were near empty on Friday morning, with most shops closed, AFP journalists said. The Palestinian health ministry said the cases had first been detected at a hotel in the Bethlehem area. The emergency measures came after the first Palestinian cases were confirmed Thursday afternoon. All seven of those infected were being treated in quarantine, the Palestinian health ministry said. The head of the local health directorate, Imad Shahadeh, told AFP that a group of Greek tourists had visited the hotel in late February, with two later diagnosed with the virus. A number of suspected cases have since been identified among hotel workers, he said. Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, said Shtayyehs announcement covered only the West Bank. The measures were a particular blow to Bethlehem, where businesses depend largely on visitors to the church.