Coronavirus: State of emergency extended in West Bank after increased contamination

A health worker watches Palestinian workers commute to work in Israel at a checkpoint near Hebron in the West Bank occupied by Israel on May 3, 2020. REUTERS / Mussa Qawasma

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While the Palestinian Authority decreed Friday 3 July a new containment for 5 days minimum, cases of coronavirus are increasing in the West Bank.

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From our correspondent in Ramallah, Alice Froussard

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has just extended the state of emergency . For the day of Saturday July 4 alone, 528 new cases were identified within 24 hours, bringing the total number of coronavirus contaminations to 3,360 cases in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The authorities are particularly concerned. In recent days, the number of patients with Covid-19 has been increasing and there are more and more deaths compared to the first phase of contamination. The situation particularly affects Hebron, the epicenter of the epidemic. In this city in the south of the West Bank, where families are very large, the inhabitants do not really respect the confinement or the rules of social distancing dictated by the government.

Containment probably extended

Everyone is supposed to stay at home, but yesterday I saw a wedding parade right outside my house,  " said a local resident. The police also intervened to close stores that remained open and to confiscate driving licenses from residents who drove.

Here, the coronavirus is not afraid because many do not believe it. So in this fairly religious and conservative city, orders were given to the mosques to announce the seriousness of the situation after each adhan, the call to prayer, to call the inhabitants to be careful.

For its part, the Palestinian Health Ministry even spoke of an uncontrollable situation for medical teams before specifying that in Hebron and its region, the five-day confinement will probably be extended.

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  • Palestinian territories
  • Israel
  • Coronavirus
  • Confinement

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