Daily Life Near a Standstill as Nations Try to Halt Pandemic

Daily Life Near a Standstill as Nations Try to Halt Pandemic
People walk along La Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, on March 15, 2020. Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo
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ROME—Meeting with friends, dining out, worshiping and other daily routines have nearly halted as nations take drastic steps to try to stop the coronavirus pandemic.

Religious leaders gave sermons to empty pews or to the faithful watching online Sunday after public worship was curtailed in many places. The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City was being closed indefinitely, and the Vatican closed off next month’s Holy Week services to the public.