Ahmed Sameer
05 July 2020•Update: 05 July 2020
RAMALLAH, Palestine
Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila has described the coronavirus outbreak in the West Bank city of Hebron as “out of control”.
Speaking in an interview with Palestine TV, al-Kaila said 173 virus infections were registered in Hebron on Saturday.
The health minister is set to visit the city on Sunday to check on the health situation there.
According to the minister, 50 Palestinian medics have so far contracted the virus.
As the cases continue to surge, al-Kaila expected that the Palestinian government would extend a lockdown imposed in the territories for five more days to stem the spread of the pandemic.
On Wednesday, the government imposed a five-day lockdown in 11 provinces in the West Bank, including Hebron, in an effort to contain the outbreak.
So far, Palestine has confirmed 4,250 infections, including 17 deaths. More than half of the registered cases were in Hebron.
* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara
