Palestine confirms cases of Delta strain of coronavirus

By Awad al-Rujoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian health authorities on Sunday confirmed the first two infections from the Delta coronavirus variant.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said in a statement that two girls in the West Bank cities of Qalqilya and Salfit who recently returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had tested positive for the new strain.

She said people who came in contact with the two girls have been quarantined.

Al-Kila warned that the Delta variant “is the most infectious variant among all other coronavirus strains.”

Palestinian health authorities have so far recorded 342,562 cases of coronavirus, including 3,825 deaths, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

According to the Health Ministry, a total of 482,695 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara