The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced Monday that the Palestinian enclave has “effectively” entered a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic after a spike in infections in the past weeks.
Deputy Director of Primary Healthcare Magdi Dahir told a press conference that the ministry is tracking the epidemiological situation and “the steady increase in the number of infections during the past weeks.”
He predicted the numbers to further rise next weeks “based on data and indicators of the epidemic curve and the surge in infections”, adding that lab tests conducted abroad showed the Delta variant had spread in the Gaza Strip.
The health official pointed out that the limited turnout at vaccination centers and the failure to adhere to health prevention and safety measures, particularly with the start of the new academic year, “make it incumbent for everyone to be aware of the danger of the worsening epidemiological situation and the rising number of critical Covid-19 cases.”
Three coronavirus deaths and 663 new infections were recorded in Gaza in the last 24 hours, and the number of hospitalizations climbed to 171, including 101 serious-to-critical cases.
Source: Jordan News Agency