15 tourists from the United States were put under quarantine in a hotel in Bethlehem as part of precautionary measures over the coronavirus scare, Reuters reported, citing Palestinian National Authority official Ibrahim Melhem.
“There is a 15-member American delegation in the hotel. They are still there and they are being dealt with according to quarantine regulations like all the others who are there”, the official told Reuters. This has not been confirmed by American authorities in the region.
On 5 March, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared a state of emergency across the West Bank after several hotel workers in Bethlehem tested positive for the coronavirus. The 30-day measure prohibits the movement of people into and out of the biblical city and has reportedly led to the closure of dozens of mosques, schools, colleges, and national parks in other parts of the territory.
“We have decided to declare a state of emergency in all Palestinian areas to confront the danger of the coronavirus and prevent it from spreading”, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh was quoted by Reuters as saying on Thursday, while reading President Abbas’ decree.
It has been reported that some foreigners have been “turned away” at checkpoints by Palestinian security forces in certain areas of the West Bank, including the city of Jericho. More than a dozen cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the PNA and around 20 in Israel.