RAMALLAH, June 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official announced on Monday evening that three more Palestinians were infected with COVID-19 in the southern West Bank.
Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila said that the results of the tests, which were conducted on Monday evening, showed that two men and a two-month-old toddler were infected with the deadly virus in the district of Hebron.
Earlier on Monday, al-Kaila said in an emailed press statement that ten cases were recorded in the southern West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron.
She added that one of the cases was in Dar Salah town in the Bethlehem District, which is the first case since it was declared free of coronavirus on May 10.
Governor of Bethlehem Kamel Hmeid put Dar Salah under lockdown, while the Palestinian Health Ministry's preventive medicine crews conduct COVID-19 tests in the town.
Al-Kaila said in the press statement that the other nine cases are from the southern West Bank district of Hebron, including six children.
In her latest update, al-Kaila said that with the three new cases, the total number of infections in Palestine has reached 689 since March 5, adding that 570 cases recovered, which represents 84.3 percent of the total infections.
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stressed earlier on Monday that it is necessary for both officials and citizens to abide by the safety and protective measures to avoid being infected with the deadly virus.
Abbas, who wore black gloves and blue facemask, made his remarks in a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to the state-run news agency (WAFA).
"I'm confident that our Palestinian people can overcome the crisis of coronavirus pandemic through abiding by the official preventive measures, mainly wearing facemasks and banning mass gatherings," said Abbas.
Abbas also said that he asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye to bring the daily life in Palestine to normal while taking all the needed measures of safety and protection. Enditem
