The Western Wall was reopened to worshippers in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, as Israeli authorities started easing the lockdown measures imposed to curb the #coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Many approved the precautionary measures set up to allow visitors to pray at the Jewish religious site. “People are praying here and crying, after a long time we couldn’t been here at the #Kotel,” said a worshipper.

Visitors were required to wear protective masks and to respect social distancing rules, while security staff checked their temperature and recorded their contact details.

To enforce the measures, the #WesternWall plaza was divided into separate praying areas, with only 300 people being allowed in the area at a time.

Israel registered 16,289 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 238 subsequent deaths, as of Tuesday, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.