Public buildings including schools, colleges, mosques and churches in the biblical city of Bethlehem will be closed for the next 14 days as concerns about coronavirus in the region grow. 

The Palestine Health ministry announced the move Thursday and said events such as lectures, conferences and sporting events will be shut down as well.

Bethlehem's Nativity Church, built on the spot where Christians Jesus was born, will also close Thursday. The church was expecting a large number of visitors over the forthcoming Easter holiday. 

This comes after four people were identified as suspected virus-carriers in a Bethlehem hotel, which hosted Polish and American guests. Cases samples were sent to Israeli labs, the results of which are still unknown.

While there are no confirmed cases yet in the West Bank, there have been 15 cases confirmed in Israel.

Israel has dramatically enhanced it’s protective measures, restricting travel from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Spain (in addition to Italy and countries in Asia) as well as cancelling joint military exercises scheduled with United States European Command.

Meanwhile, Iraq confirmed its second coronavirus death on Wednesday.

Iran's schools and universities are closed till the end of the Iranian calendar year, Mar. 20, as the death toll there rises to 107.

Kuwait also confirmed two more cases on Thursday, bringing its total to 58.

A music video released by the Vietnamese Health Ministry to increase awareness of coronavirus is winning fans not just for its public health advice but for its catchy tune.

The music video shows an animated green germ to represent the coronavirus, with showing people wearing masks and washing their hand to fight it off.

The song also recommends avoiding face-touching and limiting time in crowded places.

"We should definitely raise our vigilance to not let it spread," the English subtitles read, as a cartoon foot squashes the bright green virus.

The video was released by the ministry in late February and has been viewed more than three million tiems, but it has since become a hit on TikTok where many are replicating a hand-washing dance by Vietnamese dancer Quang Đăng.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed hope that neighboring South Korea will overcome its coronavirus outbreak, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in's office said Thursday.

In a letter to Moon delivered Wednesday, Kim also voiced concern over Moon's health, according to the presidential office.

"Chairman Kim underlined his unwavering friendship and trust towards President Moon and said that he will continue to quietly send his best wishes for President Moon to overcome COVID-19," said Yoon Doo Han, a senior press secretary for South Korea.

South Korea is fighting the biggest epidemic outside China. It reported 438 new infections on Thursday, making the total 5,766 confirmed cases.

Amazon has asked its Seattle-based employees who are able to work from home to do so through the end of March, according to a company spokesperson, after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the greater Seattle area climbed to 39 as of Wednesday, including 10 deaths, up from 27 cases and nine deaths a day earlier.

All 39 cases are clustered in two counties in the Puget Sound region, making it the largest concentration detected to date by the U.S. public health system.

Read more on efforts to contain the outbreak in Washington State.

Fewer than 100 people aboard a cruise ship being delayed off California's coast have been identified for testing for the coronavirus illness COVID-19, Princess Cruises said Wednesday night. 

Two patients on an earlier trip aboard the Grand Princess in mid-February later tested positive for illness in California. One of those people died in Placer County, officials there announced Wednesday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that 11 passengers and 10 crew are symptomatic.

Princess Cruises said in a statement there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases currently on the ship. It said the tests are expected to arrive by U.S. Coast Guard helicopter Thursday morning. The cruise company said that all those identified for testing have been asked to stay in their staterooms. 

In King County, Washington, where 31 people have tested positive for the coronavirus illness, and nine have died, officials are urging people to do all they can to stay healthy. 

Officials on Wednesday announced a list of recommendations that urges people at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, which includes those who are pregnant or 60 and older, to stay home and avoid large groups. 

It called on employers to allow anyone who can work from home to do so. 

All residents were asked to avoid visiting hospitals, long-term care facilities and nursing homes. Large gatherings of people should be avoided and postponed if possible, the officials recommend. 

Australia's prime minister on Thursday announced new travel restrictions barring foreign nationals from South Korea from entering the country amid a coronavirus outbreak there.

The rules prohibit people in South Korea from entering Australia for 14 days from the time they left or traveled through South Korea. Australians are exempt but are required to self-isolate at home.

They add to similar restrictions already in place involving mainland China, where the coronavirus outbreak began, and Iran, which has nearly 3,000 cases.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also announced "enhanced screening measures" for travelers from Italy. The prime minister said that reason there was no travel ban for Italy is because Australia has seen far more people coming from South Korea than Italy.

SEATTLE — The University of Washington School of Medicine announced Wednesday new lab testing capabilities aimed at addressing the national testing shortage. Rather than wait for the CDC’s permission to test people for coronavirus, the Seattle-based lab can perform its own testing.

The UW Medicine Virology Lab anticipates being able to test between 1,000 and 1,500 samples a day by the end of the week, up from the current 200 a day.

The lab received emergency authorization from the Federal Drug Administration after federal and state health officials acknowledged problems from slow and inaccurate testing. UW received permission Saturday to begin testing, but researchers there said they had started working on the problem in January.

LOS ANGELES — Netflix is canceling its South by Southwest screenings and events amid concerns about the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

A company spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press on Wednesday that the streamer is pulling out of the annual Austin-based festival, which kicks off next week. 

Netflix is not the only company to scrap its festival plans. Others skipping the event include Apple, Amazon Studios, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Mashable and Intel.

Organizers and the city of Austin have said the music, technology and entertainment festival will still happen March 13-22. 

Texas health officials on Thursday reported the first positive test of the coronavirus illness COVID-19 involving the state that doesn't involve evacuees from China or the cruise ship that was quarantined off Japan.

The patient was described by Fort Bend County officials as a resident in his 70s who had recently traveled abroad, and he is hospitalized and isolated and is stable.

The positive local test will be confirmed by testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is considered a travel-related case, which is different than possible "community spread" cases in other states where the exposure source is unknown. Fort Bend County is southwest of Houston.