- Title: Blockaded Gaza free of coronavirus, but stepping up precautions
- Date: 9th March 2020
- Summary: RAFAH, GAZA (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VEHICLE DRIVING VIA RAFAH CROSSING POINT SIGN READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH 'RAFAH CROSSING' WOMAN CARRYING LUGGAGE AND LEAVING THE CROSSING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHAHIMA AL-SOURANI, 26 YEAR OLD, SAYING: "I don't support closing the crossings. People have businesses they need to tend to. These are precautionary measures at the crossing; it shouldn't be closed. Why should they close it?" LUGGAGE ON TOP OF VEHICLE WOMAN LEAVING TAXI MAN AT CROSSING PUTTING MASK GAZA CITY, GAZA (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) MAN WEARING A MASK STANDING OUTSIDE A SUPERMARKET AND GIVING SANITIZES TO CUSTOMERS WORKER AT MARKET STERILIZING THE TROLLEY VARIOUS OF WORKER STERILIZING HANDS OF CUSTOMERS VARIOUS OF WORKERS PUTTING MASKS AND GLOVES DURING WORKING AT SUPERMARKET STERILIZATION MATERIALS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) AHMED MURTAJA, AN OWNER OF GAZA'S LARGEST SUPERMARKET, SAYING: "I am with, they have to close it (question: Why?) because we don't have the abilities in Gaza, and even if there is it's not like the abilities like other countries. We are afraid that one enters the crossing and carries the virus; and they can't diagnose the case." WORKER AT BAKERY WEARING GLOVES AND MASK AND GIVE PEOPLE BREAD MAN AT BAKERY WITH MASK WORKERS AT BAKERY DISINFECTING THE BAKERY MAN DISINFECTING THE STREET VARIOUS OF GAZANS ON BEACH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAMI KUJAIL, GAZA CITY RESIDENT, SAYING: "There is tourism in West Bank, but we are under blockade, so we do not have tourists and we do not have foreigners. We are satisfied of what God brings. If we stay home we may also get sick." CHILDREN PLAYING ON TRAMPOLINE WOMEN AND CHILDREN ARRIVING TO PARK NEAR BEACH CHILDREN IN PARK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) IBRAHIM ABU LAILA, GAZA RESIDENT, SAYING: "More than 11 years of blockade, by land by sea by sky. The groups that arrive here are counted, they come one day or two and they leave. We don't have hotels that tourist stay at, so we don't meet them. Thank God, Maybe some good can come from the bad." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING NEAR STATUS READING 'I LOVE GAZA'
- Embargoed: 23rd March 2020 13:07
- Keywords: Gaza Rafah coronavirus quarantine restrictions tourists
- Location: GAZA CITY AND RAFAH, GAZA
- City: GAZA CITY AND RAFAH, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C4BYCSN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Gaza Strip has remained free of the coronavirus, but authorities are taking precautions, closing schools after a state of emergency was declared last week.
Health officials have urged all returning travellers to go into home quarantine for 14 days and Gazans have been stockpiling sterilizers and other cleaning materials.
While some in Gaza advocate closing border crossings with Israel and Egypt entirely to stave off infection, others voiced concern about deepening economic hardship in the territory, where unemployment hovers around 50 percent.
People have businesses they need to tend to," said Shahima al-Sourani, 26, on going back into Gaza from the southern Rafah border crossing with Egypt, where 55 cases of coronavirus including one death have been reported.
Concern is also high in Gaza that if the coronavirus strikes, its hospitals, suffering from a chronic lack of equipment, will struggle to deal with the spread of the illness.
(Production: Fadi Shana/ Arafat Barbakh/Bassam Massoud/ Roleen Tafakji/Nehad Khalil) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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