Bethlehem governor, Kamil Hmeid has announced a lockdown in the Palestinian city. Arab News reports that the move follows a spike in infections in the occupied West Bank. Bethlehem, Hebron and Nablus, have all recorded a sinificant increase in new coronavirus cases.

The 48-hour lockdown will begin on Monday from 6.00am local time. Bethlehem was initially put into lockdown in March, after the first coronavirus case emerged in the West Bank. Meanwhile, Hebron was closed for 5 days this past week, and Nablus for 48 hours.

Arab News reports that of the 67 new COVID-19 cases the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Saturday, 33 were in the Bethlehem district. Thus far, 1,552 virus cases have been recorded in the West Bank, including two deaths.

72 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the Gaza Strip, with one death.

Umm Muhammed Umar