Epicenter of Palestinian virus outbreak shifting from Hebron to East Jerusalem

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry reports 225 new cases of the novel coronavirus and one death in the past 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 103 were confirmed in Jerusalem governorate, including 88 in Israeli-controlled East Jerusalem. The center of the coronavirus outbreak among Palestinians has slowly been shifting from Hebron, the West Bank’s largest governorate, to Jerusalem.

There are still many more active cases in Hebron governorate than in Jerusalem — 4,215 in Hebron to Jerusalem’s 3,016. But infection rates in Hebron have been trending sharply downward even as Jerusalem’s infection curve rises. Only 22 cases are confirmed in Hebron governorate on Sunday.

The Gaza Strip continues to avoid a major public health crisis, with only 7 active cases remaining, according to the PA Health Ministry. All coronavirus infections to date in the Strip have been among new arrivals all already quarantined inside field hospitals established to contain the spread of the outbreak. None of the infected were exposed to individuals outside Hamas-controlled quarantine centers.

The Palestinian Authority reports 15,780 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 87 deaths: one in Gaza, 3 among Jerusalem Palestinians, and 83 in the West Bank.

— Aaron Boxerman