More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter, with church leaders urging worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.

While many watched services online or on television, some sidestepped virus fears to attend churches on the most important date in the Orthodox calendar.

Russian Patriarch Kirill, who leads 150 million believers, held a service in Moscow's Christ the Saviour Church with no worshippers attending.

In a televised address, the Patriarch focused on “the terrible illness that has touched our people” saying the church was empty but “we are together — one big family of Orthodox believers”.

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