RAMALLAH, Saturday, January 2, 2021 (WAFA) - The Palestinian government announced today its decision to extend its lockdown for another two weeks as it attempts to slow down the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across Palestine.

Due to the sharp rise in coronavirus cases in Palestine, the Palestinian government decided today to continue shutting down the country on weekends and at night for 14 days.

Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah on Saturday evening, government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem, announced following a meeting with the cabinet, the High Emergency Committee, and the Epidemiological Committee, and in accordance with the provisions of the Emergency Law, that a full lockdown will be imposed in Palestine every Friday and Saturday and that lockdown will also be imposed every day of the week between 7 in the evening and 6 the next morning for the next two weeks, starting tomorrow January 3rd.

President Mahmoud Abbas is set tonight to issue a decree extending the state of emergency in Palestine for 30 more days starting tomorrow amidst the coronavirus outbreak in the occupied territories.

T.R.