Gaza reports Delta variant cases: official

Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-23 19:12:54|Editor: huaxia

Majdi Dheir (L), head of the preventive medicine department in Gaza, and Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman of the Gaza health ministry, attend a news conference at the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, in Gaza City, Aug. 23, 2021. Palestinian health officials on Monday announced that the first cases of Delta variant of COVID-19 were confirmed in the besieged Gaza Strip, home of more than 2 million Palestinians. The health ministry under the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said in a press statement that it recorded three fatalities and 663 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, and most of the infections are with Delta variant. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian health officials on Monday announced that the first cases of Delta variant of COVID-19 were confirmed in the besieged Gaza Strip, home of more than 2 million Palestinians.

The health ministry under the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said in a press statement that it recorded three fatalities and 663 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, and most of the infections are with Delta variant.

"Over the past days, we have noticed an increase in infections and in the occupancy rate of hospital beds treating COVID-19 patients in the Gaza Strip," said Majdi Dheir, head of the preventive medicine department in Gaza.

Urging the Gazan populations to speed up receiving the anti-coronavirus vaccine, Dheir noted that 134,988 people have already received two doses of the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman of the Gaza health ministry, told a news conference that the ministry has decided to completely stop visits to patients inside hospitals, except for the most urgent cases.

"It was decided to oblige all employees in all ministries and government departments to receive the vaccine," he said, adding that the elderly must be protected.

He also announced that the health ministry will launch a one-month campaign to vaccinate the elderly starting from Aug. 25. Enditem

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KEY WORDS: Gaza,Palestine,COVID19,Delta
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