Gaza: 29 returnees from Egypt test positive for virus

By Mohammad Majid

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - At least 29 Palestinians in Gaza have contracted the new coronavirus, the Health Ministry in Gaza said on Thursday.

Yousef Abu al-Reesh, Gaza's deputy health minister, said in a press conference that 29 infections were reported among the new returnees who recently arrived from Egypt via the Rafah crossing and they tested positive while in quarantine.

The health authorities are investigating if those infected patients have contacted with others in Gaza, he added.

With these new infections, the total cases in Palestine -- in the occupied West Bank and Gaza -- stand at 569.

Worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic has killed over 328,700 people, with more than 5 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 1.9 million, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara.