Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced today a new set of strict precautionary measures against the spread of novel COVID-19 (coronavirus).
These measures include:
- Banning transportation and movement between the governorates.
- Residents of villages and refugee camps will not be allowed to commute to city centers.
- People will have to observe a compulsory 14-day quarantine at their homes as of 10:00 pm, March 22, 2020, with the exception of those working in healthcare centers, bakeries, pharmacies and grocery stores.
- Arrivals coming back home from abroad shall observe a 14-day quarantine at the specialized quarantines of the Ministry of Health in the governorates.
- Banks will be operating under an emergency system, provided that their employees should bear their identity cards with them during their way to the bank and back home.
- Workers at Israeli settlements shall not be allowed to continue to work there during the emergency period.
- Israel is called upon to provide a decent accommodation to Palestinians working in Israel.
- All the directorates of the ministries in the governorates will be locked down, with the exception of the ministries of Health, Social Development, National Economy, and Civil Affairs.
- The Palestinian National Security, the civil police and the rest of the security services will be deployed at the centers and entrances to cities and towns to maintain public order.
The Prime Minister also called on Israeli authorities to provide protection to the Palestinian political prisoners in its jails as well as work to release them, especially the sick prisoners, women and minor prisoners.