20 May 2021 Last Updated: 2:10 p.m. CURRENT EVENTS IN LIGHT OF COVID-19

The Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development - REFORM

http://images.wafa.ps/image/NewsThumbImg/Default/d1a386b8-02b6-4f5c-bb4e-0a5123df4928.jpg As the highly contagious Coronavirus, COVID-19, is affecting 220 countries and territories around the world, 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 23,272 people placed in quarantine, both at home and at designated facilities. Although 1,795,993 individuals in the and 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 165,617,499 144,671,011 3,433,373 17,513,115

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 227,299 222,768 2,723 1,808 (including Including 28,841 in (28,573) (268) (0) ) Jerusalem Gaza Strip 106,298 102,323 995 2,980

Today, 20.05.2021 the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kela, announced that there are 224 new people who have COVID-19, bringing the total cases to 333,597. Since Monday, 17.05.2021, there has been an overall increase of 682 cases in Palestine. The Ministry further indicated that there are a total of 325,091 recoveries and 3,718 deaths, while 4,788 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

Yesterday, 19.05.2021, the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kela, discussed Israel’s launch of strikes on the Gaza Strip, especially its impact on the health sector, with international and national institutions working in the humanitarian health sector. Dr. Al-Kela also denounced the brutal actions of the occupying forces, including the targeting of civilians, health centers and infrastructure, as well as ambulances. The Director of the World Health Organization office affirmed that the Organization is doing everything it can to help the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and that it is working closely with the Ministry to support health efforts and to reduce health risks, in light of the current situation. Sources: The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s Website and Wafa News Agency

Yesterday, three trucks of medicine and medical supplies were delivered to the Ministry of Health centers in the Gaza Strip from the Kingdom of Morocco, in light of the difficult conditions in the Strip. Sources: The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s Website and Wafa News Agency

Yesterday, the Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, held a meeting with the VP of Global Affairs and Communications at Facebook, Nick Clegg, to discuss the right of expressing the Palestinian narrative without restrictions. During the meeting, Dr. Shtayyeh also stressed the necessity of protecting Palestinian content that document human rights violations. He further affirmed that international law and UN resolutions that recognize the rights of the Palestinian people must be taken within Facebook's criteria when evaluating content. Sources: The Council of Ministers’ Website and Wafa News Agency 4https://www.corona.ps/details Several attacks and arrests by the Israeli occupying forces took place across Palestine:

1. Today, 16 Palestinians were arrested from several Governorates across the West Bank, including: , , Jericho and Hebron. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Raya News Network

2. Today, a child was shot in the leg and transferred to a hospital in the village of Al-Arqa, west of the Jenin Governorate. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Ma’an News Agency

3. Today marks the 6th consecutive day that a 26-year-old Palestinian prisoner in Israeli jail continues his hunger strike. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Dunia Al-Wattan News Agency

4. Today, the village of Al-Arqa, west of the Jenin Governorate, was invaded and surveillance cameras, belonging to Palestinians, were seized. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Ajyal Radio Network

http://images.wafa.ps/image/NewsThumbImg/Default/4703cab0-09d5-4ef2-869f-8c18f5eacdaa.jpg 5. Today, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were were shot and transferred to the hospital for treatment, in the town of Jaba’, south of the Jenin Governorate. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Wattan News Agency

6. Today, a Palestinian man was killed and another was seriously wounded in a missile strike targeting them northwest of the town of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, and were transferred to a hospital. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Al-Hadath Newspaper

7. For the eleventh consecutive day, there has been a total of 230 martyrs and 1,710 wounded in the Gaza Strip. Sources: Raya News Network and Ajyal Radio Network

8. Today, lands, belonging to Palestinians, were bulldozed in the town of Ya’bad, south of the Jenin Governorate, paving a road for a settlement outpost. Sources: Wafa News Agency and Wattan News Agency The United Nations Security Council, in its fourth meeting regarding the situation in Palestine, has again failed to find consensus on a joint statement calling for a ceasefire, with the United States reportedly telling the panel that such a statement would not help to calm the situation. “With regard to further Security Council action, we must assess if any given action or statement will advance prospects for ending the violence,” US Envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield reportedly said in the private meeting, noting: “We do not judge that a public pronouncement right now will help de- escalate.” Sources: Wafa News Agency and Raya New Network Joe Biden has told Benjamin Netanyahu that he expects “a significant de-escalation today on the path to a ceasefire,” in a notable toughening of the US president’s language on the situation. The White House said that in a phone call yesterday, “the two leaders had a detailed discussion on the state of events in Gaza and ongoing diplomatic efforts by regional governments and the United States.” It added: “The president conveyed to the prime minister that he expected a significant de- escalation today on the path to a ceasefire.” But in a statement issued swiftly after the White House disclosed the call, Netanyahu said he was “determined to continue this operation until its objective is achieved: to restore quiet and security to you, citizens of Israel.” He added that he “appreciated the support of our friend, US President Joe Biden, for the state of Israel’s right to self-defense.” Sources: Wafa News Agency and Raya New Network Today, the Israeli Ministry of Health confirmed that total number of COVID-19 cases is 839,221, of which 6,395 died and 832,232 recovered. According to the Health Ministry’s statistics, of the 594 active cases in Israel, 58 are in critical condition. Sources: Ma’an News Agency and i24 News Agency Miscellaneous: • The European Union will begin to ease travel restrictions to the bloc, with the EU Council agreeing on measures to allow fully vaccinated foreign visitors in. • Indian states are facing shortages of a drug used to treat black fungus, a rare and potentially fatal infection that is increasingly being detected in COVID-19 patients. • 1.5 million people in Nepal unable to get second COVID-19 vaccine dose as India curbs exports. • UK defends allowing direct flights from India as variant cases rise 28% in 2 days. • The US plans to send 20 million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines overseas, on top of 60 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine. • Destruction of Gaza’s COVID-19 lab poses high risk of virus spreading, say Palestinian health officials.

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.