Built on the grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born, the church joins a list of prominent tourist and holy sites to shutter their doors in the wake of rising fears over the spread of coronavirus.

Dioceses nationwide are taking precautions to guard against the spread of the coronavirus and reminding parishioners to take commonsense steps related to hygiene in their personal lives.

Italy has reported more than 1,800 cases of the China-born virus and 66 people have died while nearly 150 have recovered, while the rest allegedly remain in quarantine. Most of the cases were reported in northern Italy, near Milan and Venice.

Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, canceled its spring break study abroad program to Italy and several colleges have posted warnings about individual travel during the break on their websites.

On March 1, a man in his 40s who was on the February school trip and has not been identified as a member of the school's faculty or a chaperone, was the first Rhode Islander said to have a strain of the virus.

As the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in Europe continued to grow, the French Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes announced that pilgrims were still welcome, but the pools the sick bathe in hoping for healing would be closed temporarily.