Palestinian Authority Health Minister Mai al-Kaila announces that 17 people at a hotel in the Bethlehem area have recovered from COVID-19.
The development means that the number of cases confirmed by Palestinian health authorities in the West Bank has dropped from 48 to 31.
“I congratulate… our people on the healing of 17 sick persons from COVID-19,” she tells a press conference in Ramallah.
Palestinian policeman delivers supplies to a hotel where staff tested positive for coronavirus in Bethlehem, the West Bank, March 6, 2020. (Majdi Mohammed/AP)
Kaila says the 17 people underwent three separate tests for the disease in recent days, all of which came back negative, adding they will now be required to quarantine themselves in their homes.
She also says the healed people will be tested again for the illness in two weeks; she states if those tests come back negative, they will no longer be required to isolate themselves.
Kaila adds that the recovered people are all young and only experienced mild COVID-19 symptoms, noting none of them required intensive care.
— Adam Rasgon
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