RAMALLAH, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Sunday reported nine new cases infected with the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number to 226.
The new cases are from Ramallah, Jenin and towns of East Jerusalem, said Kamal al-Shakhra, director of the primary health care department in the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The health ministry is discussing to close the hospital which is visited by the infected patients with the virus before transferred to a specialized center, he said.
He called on the people to stay at home in the next weeks, adding that "the situation is not safe."
Palestine has witnessed a significant increase in the number of coronavirus cases and the trend would continue over the next couple of weeks, he said.
For a month, the Palestinian people live under strict precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus among the residents.
On Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared extending the state of emergency in the Palestinian territories for 30 days.
In the Gaza Strip, there are 12 cases infected with the virus, while the Hamas government announced a new set of precautionary measures, such as closing the restaurants and the beach.
