Palestinians report first virus death

A woman in her 60s has become the first Palestinian to die after being infected with coronavirus.

The woman, from the village of Biddo, south of Ramallah, may have contracted the disease from her sons who work in Israel, Palestinian Authority government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem said. “We still don’t know how she was infected, but we have taken samples from her sons and other family members to see if they too are ill.”

Later, Milhem announced that the deceased woman’s daughter and son-in-law have tested positive for coronavirus.

Milhem said the woman’s health condition suffered a setback on Wednesday morning before she was diagnosed with the disease. “Her health condition was bad and she died,” he said. “She infected her daughter and her son-in-law.”

The two new patients brought to 64 the total number of coronavirus cases in the PA-controlled territories. The PA government said earlier this week that 16 patients from the Bethlehem area have recovered from the disease.

Although it was not clear how the woman from Biddo had contracted the virus, the PA on Wednesday again called on Palestinians not to go to work in Israel and settlements.

Earlier, PA President Mahmoud Abbas “congratulated” Chinese President Xi Jinping on China’s “big victory” in containing coronavirus, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

Abbas praised the Chinese president’s “wise leadership in managing the biggest health crisis in modern times” and said the Palestinians have been guided, from the outset, by China’s steps to combat the pandemic, Wafa added.