RAMALLAH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Tuesday declared the end of lockdown on the West Bank, while extending the state of emergency for another 30 days.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree extending the state of emergency for a month as of Tuesday night to counteract the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the official Palestinian news agency (WAFA).
At the same time the Palestinian government declared lifting the lockdown, relaxing restrictions, while observing the spread of the virus.
Government Spokesperson Ibrahim Milhem told reporters that a ministerial committee comprising together with security bodies will closely follow up the situation to combat the pandemic and carry out strict inspection on the public's commitment to health protocols on a daily basis.
He said that cafes, restaurants, gyms will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent of operational capacity while following the Health Ministry's precautionary protocols.
At the same time, the government will scrutinize on public places, shops and businesses, and public transportation to ensure the compliance with all precautionary measures and imposing penalties on violators, while reinstating a 48-hour lockdown every weekend.
Yet, crowds and public events including weddings and wakes will remain banned, said Milhem.
Milhem stressed that areas seriously hit by the pandemic will be isolated and cordoned.
According to the latest figure provided by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 604 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the past 24 hours, while a 57-year-old woman died of the disease in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
In total, Palestine has registered 16,628 cases, of which 12,692 were found in the West Bank, 78 in the Gaza Strip and 3,858 in East Jerusalem.
A total of 7,929 patients have recovered and the death toll reached 89, leaving a total of 8,610 active cases, said the ministry. Enditem
