The Palestinian Authority (PA) said Saturday it will impose a full lockdown on the West Bank starting Monday for five days, amid increasing daily coronavirus cases and deaths.
The decision came during an online meeting between Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, Health Minister Mai al-Kaila, and governors of all West Bank districts.
In a statement, government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said it was up to every governorate to take the measures it sees appropriate to both protect public health and the well-being of economic services to its people.
All schools and kindergartens will remain closed during the lockdown, noting that the education process will be online except for high-school students.
Weddings, rallies, festivals, mass parties, and mourning ceremonies will also be prohibited, the statement added.
Public and private hospitals should allocate new wards to receive coronavirus patients, said Melhem, adding that police and security agencies are required to fine the owners of crowded establishments.
Meanwhile, Kaila announced 1,784 new COVID-19 cases and 27 new deaths in the last twenty-four hours, bringing the total number of infections in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip to 234,702, including 2,498 fatalities.
There are currently 170 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units of Palestinian hospitals, the ministry said.
Also, Health Ministry spokesperson Kamal al-Shakhra told Voice of Palestine Radio on Saturday morning that the virus is spreading widely and quickly.
“We’ve opened new wards as the situation has deteriorated. But the wards open as the numbers continue to rise…We’re at 100% capacity in general, even at 110% capacity in some hospitals,” Shakhra said.
