Coronavirus: Hamas-led govt in Gaza prepares for mass quarantine

The Hamas-led government in Gaza is preparing for a mass quarantine to block the spread of the coronavirus that has caused havoc across the globe. According to reports, the Palestinian ministry of health has already quarantined tens and hundreds of people entering Gaza through Rafah crossing and is preparing to isolate more after coronavirus infections were reported in the region last week. 

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Protests along the Israeli border have been called off fearing an outbreak among the demonstrators and in compliance with the public health information issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that requires states to prevent mass gatherings. According to reports, schools, colleges, mosques have also been shut down in the densely populated region between Egypt and Israel. The Palestinian health ministry has asked people to stay at home until the virus is contained. 

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According to reports, there are currently nine confirmed coronavirus cases in Gaza and the numbers are expected to rise rapidly as the region with over 2 million people lacks basic medical equipment to fight the pandemic. The economic condition of the territory is not so good either and experts feel that the repercussions of that would be far greater on the fragile region with limited resources huge population. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

COVID-19 has claimed more than 35,000 lives across the world and has infected more than 7,37,000 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China was the most affected country until last week before Italy and Spain surpassed it to record the most number of deaths anywhere in the world due to COVID-19. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally.

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(Image Credit: AP)