- Title: First coronavirus cases confirmed in the Palestinian Gaza Strip
- Date: 22nd March 2020
- Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) MAN CLEANING STREET NEAR SCHOOL USED AS QUARANTINE CENTRE WHERE GAZA'S CORONAVIRUS CASES ARE KEPT POLICE OFFICER WEAR MASK OUTSIDE QUARANTINE CENTRE EXTERIOR OF SCHOOL USED AS QUARANTINE CENTRE PARAMEDIC WEARING MASK OUTSIDE CENTRE GAZA CITY, GAZA (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) DEPUTY MINISTER OF GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY, YOUSSEF ABU EL-REESH, TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY MINISTER OF GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY, YOUSSEF ABU EL-REESH, SAYING: "Until now we have registered two cases among people arriving in Gaza. Thank God we don't have any case among people living in Gaza. The two cases were travelling and they arrived in Gaza through Rafah crossing from Pakistan." ABU EL-REESH WORKING IN OFFICE PALESTINIAN FLAGS IN OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY MINISTER OF GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY, YOUSSEF ABU EL-REESH, SAYING: "This epidemic is a big challenge for all the whole world, even for the countries who are well equipped. So what do you think about the Gaza Strip which has been under siege for more than 14 year? For sure we need to be focused and we need support for the medical sector to be able to treat this epidemic." KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AND VEHICLES ON STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZA RESIDENT, IBRAHIM AL FARA, 54, SAYING: "I feel afraid and panicked, we are under siege and we have no medicine and now coronavirus has arrived, people are terrified. I am going to the hospital to see what medicine we can get for people who suffer from chronic diseases like us." VARIOUS OF MAN GIVING PEOPLE SANITIZER GEL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZA RESIDENT, AHMED AL FARA, 43, SAYING: "We are under siege and we have been through wars and the coronavirus now makes the people afraid. They are afraid to shake hands with their sons." DAHARIYA NEAR HEBRON, WEST BANK (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) ISRAELI SOLDIERS STANDING NEAR WEST BANK FENCE BARRIER PREVENTING PALESTINIAN WORKERS FROM CROSSING INTO ISRAEL PALESTINIAN WORKERS WALKING NEAR WEST BANK BARRIERS BETWEEN WEST BANK AND ISRAEL WORKER TALKING ON HIS MOBILE PHONE FENCE 18, (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN WORKER WHO WAS DENIED ACCESS TO ISRAEL BY ISRAELI AUTHORITIES, JALAL JABAREEN, SAYING: "It (closure) will not only affect my life, it will affect the life of all the Palestinians, as you can see we are trying to cross over to Israel." WORKERS AT ISRAELI CHECKPOINT ISRAELI WATCH TOWER FENCE, CLOSED CHECKPOINT EMPTY CHECKPOINT SALFIT, WEST BANK (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) VEHICLES DRIVING TOWARDS ISRAELI CHECKPOINT, SIGN READING (Arabic, Hebrew, English): "SLOW BARRIER AHEAD" CLOSED GATE WORKERS WALKING TOWARDS CHECKPOINT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN WORKER, IBRAHIM SADAKAH, SAYING: "We are workers and we have financial commitments, we have debts, we are forced to work to cover the cheque for this month. I have to cover for the cheque on the 25th of this month, and I have to earn to feed eight members of my family at home, I am the only one working." EMPTY CHECKPOINT WORKERS WALKING TOWARDS CHECKPOINT
- Embargoed: 5th April 2020 11:59
- Keywords: Gaza Health Khan Younis Palestinians West Bank coronavirus
- Location: KHAN YOUNIS AND GAZA CITY, GAZA / DAHARIYA NEAR HEBRON AND SALFIT, WEST BANK
- City: KHAN YOUNIS AND GAZA CITY, GAZA / DAHARIYA NEAR HEBRON AND SALFIT, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C64U81Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The first two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the densely-populated Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials said on Sunday (March 22).
The two Palestinian men, both in their 30s, had tested positive for the virus after returning from Pakistan to Gaza through Egypt late on Saturday (March 21) and were being held in a quarantine areas set up in the border town of Rafah, the Gaza health ministry said. They were in stable condition, it said.
Schools, public markets and event halls have all been shut in Gaza over the past two weeks to minimise the risk of coronavirus transmission.
Friday prayers, which usually see big gatherings of worshippers in mosques, were also suspended.
The coastal enclave, measuring 375 square kilometres (145 square miles) is home to around two million Palestinians. Poverty and unemployment rates are high.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, 59 people coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the occupied West Bank. The number of confirmed cases in Israel is 945.
On Saturday, Israel's military liaison to the Palestinians said it was closing borders with Gaza as well as with the occupied West Bank to commercial traffic, though some patients and humanitarian staff could cross.
(Production: Bassam Masoud, Eyad Barbakh, Mussa Qawasma, Mohamad Torokman, Mohammed Shana, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh, Wafa Abu Mizyed) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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