Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update 18

occupied Palestinian territory, issued 3 April 2020 (epidemiological wk 5)
Information for period 5 March - 3 April 2020 

Situation in occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt)

• On 2 April 2020, the Ministry of Health (MoH) confirmed 32 new COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, on 3 April an additional 5 new cases were confirmed in the West Bank. No new cases were reported in Gaza for this period
• The total number of cases in all oPt is 171, including 159 cases in the West Bank and 12 in Gaza
• To-date, the MoH has reported a total of 21 cases have recovered and one person had died
• Most cases do not present clinical symptoms and none are critical. All new cases are under medical observation at designated health facilities. Contact tracing was initiated for all cases
• In the Gaza Strip, on 2 April an additional 194 samples were tested and found to be negative, 100 samples were tested by the Israeli Ministry of Health and 94 in Gaza. On April 3, 80 further samples will be tested and this will conclude testing for all those quarantined at Blu Beach Hotel who were suspected contacts of the 12 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Gaza 
• Twelve confirmed cases are in isolation at Rafah crossing field hospital and more than 1,852 people are in one of the 27 designated quarantine facilities which include primary health facilities, schools or hotels. Those coming from crossings at Rafah or Erez have been quarantined since March 15

• WHO urges the public to obtain the latest information on COVID-19 from key sources such as MoH (dashboard) and WHO (see Twitter, Facebook and oPt website), and follow and promote the recommended basic preventive and protective measures.

Response in oPt:

WHO is continuing to work with partners to support Ministry of Health’s (MoH) efforts to respond to the COVID-19 situation in oPt.

WHO delivered a truckload of essential medical supplies for COVID-19 case management and infection prevention and control to local health authorities in the Gaza Strip, including 400,000 masks and 100,000 gloves funded by the oPt humanitarian pooled funds 

Highlights this week (29 March – 3 April):

• WHO delivered life-saving supplies for case management of COVID-19 and infection prevention and control to Gaza this week. Items included seven types of infection prevention and control supplies (such as 510,000 gloves and 100,000 face masks); 20 types of disposables (such as 8,000 nebulisers and 2,100 complete breathing tube systems). The delivery was funded through the oPt humanitarian pooled fund’s second reserve allocation for the total amount of US$ 98,380. More supplies are being procured
• WHO also delivered four items required for the laboratory testing of COVID-19 cases in Gaza: RNA extraction and PCR kits
• At the request of the Minister of Health, WHO assisted in delivering 1,500 sample collection swabs procured by the MoH to Gaza
• WHO and the Palestinian National Institute of Public Health support the MoH in finalising hospital preparedness plans to manage a potential surge of COVID-19 patients. 

MoH:

• In the West Bank, the MoH has made taken further measures to strengthen its response including designating 10 health facilities with capacity for 300 beds, including 50 intensive care beds and three further hospitals have been designated for extra capacity if needed.  Additional discussions are ongoing to secure beds at three private hospital

Summary of all response measures (since February 2020)
WHO:
To support the COVID-19 response in the West Bank and Gaza, since the beginning of the response WHO has delivered:

• COVID-19 testing kits to conduct an estimated 5,760 tests alongside with swabs for collection of samples and other laboratory supplies required for COVID-19 testing
• Personal Protective Equipment and hand sanitizers to protect an estimated 2,000 health workers
• Infrastructure supplies for isolation facilities in Jericho
• More than 100,000 brochures and posters to the public with practical advice on how to prevent COVID-19
• In addition WHO is purchasing 27 types of medical disposable items and medical equipment for intensive care units to be used in health facilities designated to treat COVID-19 patients in the Gaza Strip
• WHO provided support in transporting 1,500 sample collection swabs procured by the Ministry of Health from the West Bank to Gaza
• Assessment of the needs and capacities of the Gaza European Hospital and hospitals in the West Bank were conducted and results would inform the action plan developed to scale-up capacities to manage COVID-19 patients.

MoH:
The MOH have implemented effective measures to ensure early detection and case management of any suspected COVID-19 case and have ensured that:

• quarantine and treatment facilities have been established in key governorates in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and assessment of needs continue
• laboratory capacities of the MoH in Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip have been scaled up
• point of entry checks for incoming travelers are being conducted and isolation wards in health facilities have been established in West Bank and Gaza Strip
• health workers are equipped and trained in the appropriate infection prevention and control measures and case management of potential COVID-19 case across the oPt
• the general public continues to be regularly updated, including advice on how to protect themselves across the oPt. 

The response is ongoing in the Gaza Strip but there are substantial capacity gaps to be addressed including the procurement of essential medical supplies and equipment (such as lab testing kits)

WHO supported the training of 50 MoH personnel on 25 March from preventive medicine and infection prevention and control departments on case management, infection prevention and control measures, and rational use of personal protective equipment at Shifa Hospital.

Government response and planning 

• The Palestinian Authority (PA) released the National COVID-19 Response Plan on 26 March that outlined the strategic measures from a number of key sectors, including health, economy and social protection to contain the outbreak. The amount of $120 million planned by the PA for a period of 90 days is needed to support the proposed measures. A detailed list of medical and other supplies has also been issued on 02 April 2020 and shared with all partners and donors
• On 3 April 2020, the President Abbas issued a decree introducing the State of Emergency in the oPt

• There are concerns that the return of an estimated 50,000 Palestinian workers from Israel to their West Bank villages might trigger a further increase of COVID-19 cases. The Prime Minister’s office is discussing potential options for quarantine and other measures with key stakeholders. 

Inter-Agency response
The humanitarian clusters under the leadership of Humanitarian Coordinator and with support from WHO released an updated inter-agency multi-sectoral COVID-19 response plan on 27 March 2020 totaling $34 million for a period of 90 days. The plan aligns the collective efforts of the UN and its partners to support the Palestinian Authority’s lead National Response Plan to manage the impact of COVID-19 as well as with the global UN appeal issued by the UN Secretary General on 25 March 2020.

The health response part of the oPt inter-agency plan asks for $19.5 million to support immediate priority COVID-19 response actions developed by partners to support containment and to address immediate health system gaps in laboratory testing, case management and infection prevention and control.

Situation in Eastern Mediterranean Region and Globally 

Download Awareness Materials:

Further information:

Dr. Gerald Rockenschaub, WHO oPt Head of Office, rockenschaubg@who.int
Dr. Ayadil Saparbekov, WHO oPt Health Emergencies Team Lead, asaparbekov@who.int
Alice Plate, WHO oPt Communication Specialist, platea@who.int