RAMALLAH, Thursday, March 05, 2020 (WAFA) – The Palestinian premier, in his efforts to fight the coronavirus, decided tonight to shut down the country for one month, the duration of the period President Mahmoud Abbas has earlier declared as an emergency period, starting at 8:00 am local time tomorrow morning.

Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, speaking on the official Palestine TV, said that based on the powers granted to him in the decree by President Mahmoud Abbas, he decided to shut down all educational facilities, all tourist and religious areas, national parks, and cancel all hotel reservations for foreign tourists.

At the same time, all national or international conferences planned in Palestine will be canceled.

He also stressed that movement between the Palestinian cities should only be done "in cases of extreme necessity," especially in the governorate of Bethlehem where the first seven cases of coronavirus have originated.

Shtayyeh also said he was studying closing all crossings between Palestine and the rest of the world "as needed."

All kinds of gathering, celebrations, demonstrations and strikes have been prohibited throughout Palestine and each governor in his governorate was charged with implementing these procedures as security forces will be deployed to implement these decisions.

Media statements from any official except those authorized by the Prime Minister were also prohibited.

M.K.