Palestinians confirm seven cases,
Palestinians discover seven cases of coronavirus, likely connected to Greek tourists
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett imposed a closure over the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Thursday night after the Palestinian Authority discovered seven cases of coronavirus.
PA Health Minister Mai al-Kailah said her ministry decided to conduct tests on employees who came in contact with Greek tourists who stayed at the hotel where they work.
“Our medical teams examined the workers of the hotel and later found that seven people tested positive,” she said at a press conference. “They have been placed in quarantine together with the hotel staff and two doctors who came in contact with them.”
The tests were sent to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, which later confirmed the seven positive cases, Kailah said.
Earlier, the PA said it had taken urgent precautionary measures against the coronavirus after discovering a number of suspected cases in Bethlehem.
The measures included closing all mosques and churches in Bethlehem for 14 days and canceling all workshops, conferences, social and sports activities, Kailah said.
She said the ministry has taken all precautionary measures in Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities and urged Palestinians to remain calm and exercise self-restraint.
The PA Health Ministry also announced a ban on the entry of tourists into Palestinian cities for the next two weeks. The hotel where the suspected coronavirus cases were discovered has been temporarily closed, Palestinian health officials said.
In addition, the PA decided to close all schools, universities and colleges in the Bethlehem area for two weeks. The measure applies also to Jericho and the Jordan Valley.
A senior official with the ministry also warned against rumors and urged Palestinians to rely only on official sources regarding the coronavirus.
The official said the hotel where the suspected cases were discovered has been closed pending the results of the tests. Preliminary tests have shown that there are at least four suspected cases, the official said.
The Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced it has been working for the past two weeks with the PA to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
About 250 test kits have been delivered from Israel to the PA, and joint training sessions for Israeli and Palestinian medical professionals have been taking place, COGAT said.
In addition, COGAT is accessible to the Palestinian public through its social-media platforms, where they can follow the guidelines published by the Israeli Health Ministry on prevention and protection against the spread of the virus and ways of dealing with infection.
“COGAT will continue to work closely with the Palestinian authorities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,” it said. “That’s in coordination with the Israeli authorities, with emphasis on the Health Ministry and Magen David Adom.
Civil Administration Health Coordinator Dalia Bassa said: “Bacteria and viruses don’t stop at the border, and the spread of the dangerous virus in Judea and Samaria may also endanger the health of Israeli citizens.
We will continue efforts to assist the Palestinian authorities in eradicating the spread of the virus out of Israeli interests and humanitarian considerations. If needed, we will extend medical training to Palestinian staff as well as transfer of medical equipment to the Palestinian health system.”