Palestinians report over 2,300 coronavirus cases in new high

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip saw 2.357 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, setting a record for the second consecutive day, the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry reports.

A record 1,532 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in the West Bank in the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry statistics.

A man walks outside the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, in the West Bank City of Bethlehem, November 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Testing has doubled over the past few weeks to over 8,000 tests per day, but with around 17% of tests in the West Bank coming back positive, it’s likely that many cases are still spreading undetected.

The Palestinian Authority imposed a nightly curfew across the West Bank on Sunday. But the new regulations — which included a total lockdown on Friday and Saturday — have yet to make a dent in virus numbers. It usually takes 10-14 days before the results of a lockdown are seen.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reports 815 new cases in the past 24 hours, with 32% of tests taken coming back positive, according to the Hamas health ministry.

— Aaron Boxerman