New case of coronavirus found in Bethlehem

A new case of coronavirus has been found in the holy city of Bethlehem as the deadly virus continues to spread.

2 min read

10 March, 2020

Coronavirus cases are concentrated in Bethlehem [Getty]

Palestine has recorded a new case of the potentially deadly coronavirus in the southern occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem late on Monday evening, bringing the total number of cases to 26, according to the government spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the laboratory tests for a patient came out positive, raising the contamination toll to 26 people.

So far, all of the cases of coronavirus have been contained to Bethlehem, except for one in the occupied northern West Bank city of Tulkarem.

Over the last few days, medics conducted tests on 1,225 Palestinians all of which - except for the confirmed cases - turning out as negative.

Israeli authorities imposed a full lockdown on the Palestinian city of Bethlehem last Thursday evening, as the PA imposed a state of emergency following a confirmation of its first cases.

The measures were announced by Israeli Defence Minister Neftali Bennet, with a complete ban on all entry and exit into the sacred Palestinian city.

According to Israeli media, the decision was made in coordination with the Palestinian Authority (PA), who announced a month-long state of emergency.

In a televised statement, PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that the state of emergency would mean a near-total lockdown of Palestinian society.

The closure encompassed all educational institutions, from children's nurseries through to universities and research institutions.

Movement between different West Bank cities has been restricted to essential travel, with mass gatherings and protests banned.

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