Pandemic claims 15 more lives in Palestine

By Lubaba Zouqan

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian health authorities confirmed 15 fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday along with 2,142 infections over the past 24 hours.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said in her daily virus update that 2,072 cases and 14 deaths were recorded in the occupied West Bank, while 70 infections and one fatality were registered in the Gaza Strip.

She said the recovery percentage in Palestine reached 89.3%, the percentage of active cases 9.6% and the deaths' percentage 1.1% of the total infections.

Al-Kaila added that 177 patients are receiving health care in the intensive care units, including 49 depending on respirators.

The Palestinian government has ordered a 5-day lockdown in the occupied West Bank as of Monday to help stem the spread of COVID-19.

Last month, al-Kaila warned that the West Bank was experiencing a third wave of the pandemic where she expected it would be the "most difficult."

The Palestinian virus tally has so far reached 236,591 confirmed cases, including 2,507 fatalities.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara