RAMALLAH, Friday, April 3, 2020 (WAFA) – Palestine Thursday late night confirmed a new novel coronavirus case, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the occupied territories to 161.

Government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem announced in a press statement that the new case was of a resident of Beitunia town, west of Ramallah, in his 60s, who contracted the deadly virus after being in touch with a worker who tested positive for the virus after returning from his workplace in Israel.

Following the detention of the case, Milhem added, the samples were collected for around 50 members of the man’s family for being suspected of contracting the virus.

The case was transferred to quarantine at Hugo Chavez Hospital in TurmusAyya town, north of Ramallah.

He noted that well-equipped medical teams started to take samples for 250 Palestinian workers who worked at the poultry plant in the Israeli industrial zone of Atarot.

Upon their return Thursday night, the workers were received by the competent Palestinian authorities at the Qalandia military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, and subsequently sent to the quarantine centers in Ramallah for testing.

K.F.