- Title: Palestinians cut off from Jerusalem by Israeli wall get virus testing centres
- Date: 16th April 2020
- Summary: QALANDIA CHECKPOINT, JERUSALEM (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) ISRAELI BORDER POLICE AT QALANDIA CHECKPOINT CARS WAITING AT QALANDIA CHECKPOINT THAT SEPARATES KAFR AQAB NEIGHBOURHOOD FROM REST OF JERUSALEM KAFR AQAB, JERUSALEM (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) EMPTY STREET KAFR AQAB, WEST BANK (APRIL 15, 2020) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ONLY CORONAVIRUS TESTING CENTRE IN KAFR AQAB SIGN READING (Arabic): "WE CHECK AND LEAVE - CORONAVIRUS TESTING CENTRE FOR CLALIT (HEALTHCARE INSURANCE PROVIDERS)" NURSE OUTSIDE CENTRE BOARD READING (Arabic): "COVID-19 TESTING CENTRE" VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF MEDICAL CENTRE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF AL-BAYAN MEDICAL CENTRE AND HEAD OF CORONA VIRUS TESTING CENTRE IN KAFR AQAB, JAMAL ABU ASSAB, SAYING: "Unfortunately this centre provides service for Clalit healthcare insurance clients only. For those who are from different healthcare providers such as Meuhedet, Maccabi, Leumit, health services are not allowed here because our computers can't read their IDs in our Clalit system." KAFR AQAB, JERUSALEM (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) MEN WALKING IN STREET MEN GATHERING IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF KAFR AQAB, HASSAN IDRIS, SAYING: "I hold the Jerusalem ID (Israeli residential ID), we pay Arnona (the housing tax), we pay everything that is obliged. We are clients of healthcare service, but we are not getting services here, no one cares about this area." DALIYAT AL-KARMEL, ISREAL (APRIL 6, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEDICAL TEAMS AT DRIVE-THRU CORONAVIRUS TESTING CENTRE TAKING TESTS FROM RESIDENTS PASSING BY IN VEHICLES TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEDICAL SPOKESMAN FOR ISRAELI HEALTH MINISTRY, ZAHI SAEED, SAYING: "In the beginning there was some dereliction in tests due to many issues, first there was no immediate response from Magen David Adom for the Arab citizen. Also Arab citizens are reluctant to pick up the phone and ask for a test. There were so many reasons for this problem and we solved it." DALIYAT AL-KARMEL, ISREAL (APRIL 6, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMPTY STREETS AND CLOSED SHOPS SIGN ON EMPTY SHOP READING (English): "CLOSE" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF DALIYAT AL-KARMEL, ADEL MSHELAH, SAYING: "We are used to the fact that when dealing with the Arab community, they (authorities) respond too late or address it as a less important priority." JERUSALEM (APRIL 1, 2020) (REUTERS) PARAMEDIC OUTSIDE CORONAVIRUS TEST CENTRE DOCTOR AT CENTRE SIGN READING (Arabic): "TESTING ROOM 1" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DOCTOR AT CORONAVIRUS TEST CENTRE IN EAST JERUSALEM, MUHAMMAD MASSARWA, SAYING: "I think the two centres opened today are not enough to cover the needs of East Jerusalem. There are many people who live there, two centres are not enough." VARIOUS OF PARAMEDICS INSIDE CENTRE VARIOUS OF EMPTY STREETS
- Embargoed: 30th April 2020 13:54
- Keywords: Arabs Israel Jerusalem covid-19 restrictions
- Location: JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV AND DALIYAT AL-KARMEL, ISRAEL / KAFR AQAB AND QALANDIA CHECKPOINT, JERUSALEM
- City: JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV AND DALIYAT AL-KARMEL, ISRAEL / KAFR AQAB AND QALANDIA CHECKPOINT, JERUSALEM
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C9QRUC5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Coronavirus testing centres were set up this week for East Jerusalem Palestinians who are cut off from much of the city by a concrete Israeli wall.
Israeli health authorities set up the centres on Tuesday (April 14) after an Israeli rights group petitioned the country's supreme court on behalf of residents, who for weeks complained of difficulty accessing tests.
Some 150,000 East Jerusalem Palestinians live behind a barrier Israel built through parts of the city at the height of a Palestinian uprising, saying it would prevent attacks.
Usually, those Palestinians can cross through Israeli military checkpoints separating the densely-packed Shuafat refugee camp and Kafr Aqab districts from the rest of Jerusalem.
But with Israel under a coronavirus lockdown, the checkpoints have often been closed to most residents, they say.
Testing centres were opened in Arab-Israelis towns on April 6 as well. Members of the Arab community criticised the Israeli government for responding late to the crisis.
The restrictions have mostly confined Jerusalem residents to their homes. An Israeli police spokesman said the checkpoints were operating in accordance with health directives applicable to all people in Israel, including requirements to stay within 100 metres of home.
Jamal Abu Assab, head of the coronavirus testing centre in Kafr Aqab, said the new centres were a positive step but come with a catch -- only subscribers of one particular Israeli health insurance provider qualify for testing.
Israel has reported at least 140 deaths and over 12,500 cases of coronavirus. There have been two deaths and nearly 300 cases in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
(Production: Roleen Tafakji, Sinan Abu Mayzer, Ismail Khadder, Rami Ayyub) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None