President Mahmoud Abbas commendedthe ongoing efforts of the Palestinian private medical sector and the security forces against the spread of the novel coronavirus epidemic, of which 38 cases were confirmed in Palestine so far since last week.
On the other hand, The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs ordered a closure until further notice of mosques and churches in all the governorates of Palestine, as part of ongoing efforts to curb a seemingly growing spread of novel COVID-19 (coronavirus) which has so far affected 38 people in the country.
In an extraordinary step, loudspeakers of mosques in many of the West Bank governorates were heard calling for performing the regular daily prayers at homes rather than at mosques, aiming to maximally restrict gathering of people to avoid the risk of infection.
The ministry also asked local churches to ring their bells as usual but ban prayers at their premises during the current health crisis.
“This global epidemic is seemingly growing and puts the lives of millions of people at danger. The instructions of the World Health Organization and the medical specialists are based on studies and precautions, and violating these instructions might cause calamities, ordeals and deaths,” it said in a press release.
