RAMALLAH, Saturday, December 26, 2020 (WAFA) - The situation with the pandemic in Palestine is catastrophic and is getting worse and more dangerous despite the stability of the epidemic curve in some governorates during the past days, while it remains the same in others, today warned Palestinian Ministry of Health spokesman Kamal al-Shakhra, who is also in charge of the corona file.
He told the official Voice of Palestine radio that unless the public adheres to health ministry instructions regarding movement of people, social distancing and wearing masks, the situation could get very serious.
People are not abiding by orders not to travel between governorates, he said, while people in the villages mix together and shops are open, which contributes to a rise in the epidemic curve. He said the numbers are still high in terms of infections and deaths, and the rate of infection ranges from 15 to 35% of the conducted tests.
Al-Shakhra said that the corona vaccine is expected to be available in Palestine during the next two weeks and that his ministry is in touch with the vaccine producers and the World Health Organization to make the vaccines available as soon as possible.
He explained that the type of vaccine that will arrive in Palestine has not yet been determined and that the Ministry of Health has been in contact with the four companies that are producing the vaccine.
As for the provision of testing kits for the coronavirus mutation, al-Shakhra confirmed that the Ministry is seeking to make them available in the coming days in laboratories, indicating that they are available in some private labs in the country.
He explained that all those coming from countries infected with the mutation have to quarantine in hotels to prevent the spread of infection.
Meanwhile, adviser to the Minister of Health in Gaza, Fathi Abu Warda, told Voice of Palestine radio that the epidemiological situation in Gaza is still very serious, indicating that the rate of coronavirus infection has exceeded 35% and that the number of severe cases has reached 312.
He said that the rate of bed occupancy for corona patients in Gaza has reached 81%, warning of an increase in infection and symptoms in the coming weeks due to the cold weather conditions, explaining that the seasonal flu vaccine has arrived in the Gaza Strip the day before yesterday, calling on the elderly and people with chronic diseases to get the flu shots as soon as possible.
The latest Health Ministry figures on coronavirus in Palestine said 21 people have died of the disease in the last 24 hours and 1306 new cases were recorded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
M.K.
