RAMALLAH, Monday, April 20, 2020 (WAFA) – Between nine and 15 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Palestine yesterday as the government prepares to discuss relaxing the lockdown, according to the three Palestinian Arabic dailies published today.
While al-Ayyam daily said in its main front page headline that 15 new cases were confirmed yesterday in Palestine, al-Quds put the number at 11 while al-Hayat al-Jadida said the number was nine.
The discrepancy in the figures was because al-Ayyam included the two newest cases in the Gaza Strip confirmed late last night and those in occupied East Jerusalem, while al-Quds included the persons in Jerusalem and al-Hayat al-Jadida had only the figures in the West Bank.
Al-Ayyam said Israel’s refusal to issue exact data about corona in East Jerusalem causes confusion.
Al-Quds highlighted also the daily breakdown of the cases around the world.
The three papers also said the Palestinian government is going to discuss today steps to easy the lockdown enforced since early March when the first cases were discovered in Bethlehem.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida made this topic its main front page story and said the government is going to discuss relaxing economic activities while maintaining the current measures.
It asked in another headline if the tug of war game between the ministries of economy and health has started.
The paper said Bethlehem governor visited orthodox Christian leaders in the biblical city to wish them happy Easter holiday.
It quoted the Palestinian Mine Action Center saying demining of the Baptismal sites on the Jordan River was completed.
It said in a story from the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm that livestock farmers have difficulty in daily marketing 540 tons of milk in the West Bank markets.
Al-Quds had an interview with American Palestinian Ali Fattom, Senior Vice President of Vaccine Research and Development, saying in an interview from Washington that his center is working on developing a vaccine to immunize the nose and prevent spread of coronavirus through sneezing.
It also published an interview with Intisar al-Wazir talking about her husband, Khalil al-Wazir, Abu Jihad, one of the founders of Fatah and its military commander who was assassinated by Israel in Tunis 32 years ago.
It said a Palestinian was injured from Israeli army gunfire in the north of the West Bank while Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the south.
Al-Ayyam said the Israel Electricity Company refused to delay payment of debt owed by the Palestinian power supply company, the Jerusalem District Electricity Company, as a result of the corona outbreak.
It also published stories about the business of delivery in the time of corona and Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah.
M.K.
