Highlights
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The number of active cases with COVID-19 in the West Bank increased by over 20 per cent, and 34 more people have died
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The number of recovered cases surges from by almost 400 per cent.
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First new cases of COVID-19 reported in Gaza in over a month.
Situation Overview
The cumulative number of Palestinians in the oPt who have contracted COVID-19 has nearly doubled over the course of the reporting period (from 7,734 on 14 July to 13,938, as of 16:00 hrs, 28 July), while the number of people who recovered saw a nearly fourfold increase (from 1,258 to 6, 033). Thirty-four (34) more people have died, bringing to 81 the cumulative number of fatalities to date. Over fifty per cent of confirmed cases are active (7,824), including 16 patients in intensive care units (ICU), with four patients requiring mechanical ventilation. A total of 81 health workers are among the people confirmed with COVID-19 (as of 23 July).
Almost all the 6,204 additional cases detected during the reporting period were in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), with Hebron accounting for over 50 per cent of active cases. Four new cases were detected in the Gaza Strip, the first since 11 June.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH), since the onset of the pandemic, over 180,000 laboratory samples have been tested for COVID-19. Approximately 23,000 Palestinians are in home, or facility-based quarantine, in order to monitor their symptoms and ensure early detection. The cumulative number of Palestinians in quarantine since the onset is over 180,000. (All data, as of 23 July).
Global shortages of medical equipment and the disruption of coordination between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel, in response to Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank, have significantly delayed the procurement of key medical equipment. According to the MoH, up to 150,000 tests per month will be required until the end of 2020, along with at least two million gloves and up to 750,000 surgical masks every month, until the end of the year.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.