The Palestinian Authority on Saturday announced new restrictions on coronavirus, including a partial blockade, for the occupied West Bank as cases of COVID-19 increase.
The big picture: The new measures come at a time when Israel, which leads the world in vaccinations, faces growing pressure to ensure that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip have equal access to vaccines.
- The Israeli prime minister’s office announced this week that the country will send a “symbolic amount” of vaccines to the Palestinian Authority and several countries that have asked for help, Barak Ravid de Axios said.
- Although the Palestinian Authority has started a limited vaccination campaign, with more vaccine shipments on the way, according to The New York Times, it is unclear when the majority of the more than 5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will have access to vaccines.
Details: The West Bank restrictions, set to start on Sunday, will last at least 12 days, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
- Most schools are expected to close and universities will be forced to switch to virtual education.
- Restrictions include banning most travel between provinces and going to and from Jerusalem, curfew at night and banning most movements on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Weddings, parties and funerals will also be prohibited.
By the numbers: The West Bank and Gaza have recorded more than 181,900 cases of COVID-19 and 2,025 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
- The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Saturday that the West Bank had reported 910 new cases and five deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the Times.
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