24 December 2020 Last Updated: 2:45 p.m. CURRENT EVENTS IN LIGHT OF COVID-19

The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development - REFORM

https://images.wafa.ps/photo.aspx?id=196308 As the highly contagious Coronavirus, COVID-19, is affecting 218 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances, Palestine attempts to contain a local outbreak that has effectively halted daily life and led to tens of thousands of people entering quarantine.1

Currently, the Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that there is currently 11,874 people placed in quarantine, both at home and at designated facilities. Although 842,689 individuals in the and Gaza Strip have been tested for COVID-19, there remains a deficiency in the amount of testing kits, as there is an increase in the number of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.2

Global Level3

# of COVID-19 Cases # of Recoveries # of Deaths # of Currently Infected Patients 79,177,927 55,770,104 1,740,248 21,667,575

1https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ 2http://www.corona.ps 3https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ Local Level4 Location # of COVID-19 # of # of Deaths # of Currently Cases Recoveries Infected Patients West Bank 109,359 94,160 1,060 14,139 (including Including 16,342 in (14,705) (121) (1,516) Jerusalem Jerusalem) Gaza Strip 36,063 25,778 304 9,981

Today, 24.12.2020 the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kela, announced that there are 1,704 new people who have COVID-19, bringing the total cases to 145,422. Since Monday, 21.12.2020, there has been an overall increase of 5,375 cases in Palestine. The Ministry further indicated that there are a total of 119,938 recoveries and 1,364 deaths, while 24,120 remain active across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including occupied Jerusalem. Sources: The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s Website, Ma’an News Agency and Wafa News Agency

Today, the Director General of Supportive Medical Services at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Osama Al-Najjar, indicated that there is a possibility that the new COVID-19 strain could reach Palestine, especially after the discovery of a number of cases in . He further added that the necessary medical equipment to examine and diagnose the new strain are currently not available in Palestine; however, the Ministry of Health is in contact with international bodies, including the World Health Organization. Sources: The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s Website, Wafa News Agency and Wattan News Agency

Yesterday, 23.12.2020, the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kela, called for the formation of a medical committee that includes the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Health Organization and the Palestinian Ministry of Health to oversee the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Sources: The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s Website and Wafa News Agency

Yesterday, the Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiques, Rula Ma’ayah, indicated that the tourism sector in the Bethlehem Governorate encountered difficult economic conditions as a result of the COVID- 19 outbreak. She further stated: “Christmas is the peak of tourism in Bethlehem, where we were prepared to receive thousands of tourists, but due to COVID-19, we will not be receiving any tourists this year.” She further added: “By the end of the year, the Palestinian tourism sector will have suffered more than one and a half billion dollars in losses.” Sources: Wafa News Agency and Ma’an News Agency

Yesterday, the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kela, indicated that all citizens coming from countries where the new strain of COVID-19 appeared such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, and the UK, will be quarantined for 14 days in the Jericho Governorate. She further indicated that this is necessary in order to prevent the strain from spreading to Palestine. Sources: The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s Website and Wafa News Agency

4https://www.corona.ps/details Yesterday, the European Union and Spain provided €19.5 million for a third annual payment of social allowances through the National Cash Transfer Programme benefitting 115,000 vulnerable Palestinian families. The EU Representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff stated: "The rights to social security and minimum standard of living are enshrined in universal human rights conventions and agreements, Given the limited PA fiscal space, unpredictable budget and financial instability, European Development Partners remain committed to supporting the Palestinian Authority, as duty bearer, to make available the necessary financial resources for the protection of the most vulnerable segments of the population, which is even more a priority at this time of crisis." The Head of the Spanish Cooperation Eva Suárez – Leonardo stated: "Spain is strongly involved in supporting the Palestinian Government in the delivery of essential public services to the Palestinian population, ensuring ownership and contributing to the reduction of multi-dimensional poverty.” Sources: Wafa News Agency and Ajyal Radio Network

Several attacks and arrests by the Israeli occupying forces took place across Palestine:

1. Today, 2 Palestinian men were arrested from the Hebron Governorate, after their homes were searched. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Raya News Network

2. Today, dozens of olive trees, belonging to , were uprooted in the village of Al-Tuwani, south of the Hebron Governorate. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Ma’an News Agency

3. Today, 90 settlers invaded the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Al-Quds Newspaper

https://almadina.tv/%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%B3/

4. Yesterday, a number of settlers invaded homes, belonging to Palestinians, in the south of the Nablus Governorate. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Raya News Network

5. Yesterday, a young Palestinian boy was shot and transferred to a hospital for treatment, east of the Hebron Governorate. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Wattan News Agency

6. Yesterday, agricultural lands, belonging to Palestinians, were bulldozed in the town of Awarta, south of the Nablus Governorate. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Raya News Network On Tuesday, 22.12.2020, 10 Israeli, Palestinian and international health and human rights organizations submitted a joint statement urging Israel to provide necessary vaccines to Palestinian health care systems. The statement read: “We call on relevant international stakeholders to urge Israel to fulfill its duties and moral responsibilities to assist the Palestinian health systems and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including: 1. Publishing the quantity of vaccinations reserved for the Palestinian population and providing a specific timeline for their transfer, 2. Ensuring that the vaccines provided for the Palestinian population meet the same standards of approval as those distributed to the Israeli population, 3. Ensuring smooth entry of vaccines and other medical equipment to the oPt, including preserving a ‘cold chain’ to keep vaccines refrigerated during transit if necessary, 4. Where the PA cannot fund vaccines and their distribution among the Palestinian population, Israel must provide full financial support that is not deducted from the PA’s tax monies and 5. Lifting the closure on the Gaza Strip to enable the proper functioning of its health system in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Sources: Ma’an News Agency and Wattan News Agency Today, the Israeli Ministry of Health confirmed that total number of COVID-19 cases is 385,022, of which 3,150 died and 351,875 recovered. According to the Health Ministry’s statistics, of the 29,997 active cases in Israel, 497 are in critical condition. Sources: Ma’an News Agency and i24 News Agency Miscellaneous: • According to Johns Hopkins University, California has surpassed 2 million total Coronavirus infections, more cases than in all but a handful of countries. • More than 1 million Americans have received their first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. • Dozens of countries have banned travel from the UK in an effort to contain a new COVID-19 variant first reported in England. • Russia has reported 29,935 new cases of Coronavirus and 635 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to data published by the country’s Coronavirus task force today. It's the highest daily increase in the country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. • Yesterday, a top official at Brazil's leading biomedical research center said that China's CoronaVac vaccine is the "the safest among the vaccines currently tested across the world," without releasing data to support the claim. • Today, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a briefing that South Korea has signed contracts with Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical company Janssen to import COVID-19 vaccines.

Following are links of useful resources for information and updates on COVID-19: 1. http://www.corona.ps/details 2. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses 3. https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1 4. https://www.moh.gov.ps/portal/en/

If you would like more information, please contact the World Health Organization through WhatsApp on: +41798931892.