Schools close in Gaza amid Covid-19 surge
Gaza’s two million residents escaped a wide-scale coronavirus outbreak at the start of the pandemic, but cases are now rising
epa09118491 A view of the closed United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school amid the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Gaza City on, 06 April 2021. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Palestinian medics work at al-Shifa Hospital amid a spike in coronavirus cases, in Gaza City on April 7, 2021. / AFP / MAHMUD HAMS
epa09118489 Palestinians girls walk next the closed United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school amid the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Gaza City on, 06 April 2021. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
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Apr. 7, 2021
The Hamas government has declared a total lockdown in the Gaza Strip, starting Wednesday evening, due to the sharp rise in the number of new coronavirus infections.
Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bazem said that security forces would strictly enforce the lockdown and clamp down on any infringement. The lockdown is scheduled to begin at 9 P.M. Wednesday, ending at 6 A.M. on Friday of next week.
The lockdown will be total and only essential businesses will remain open, including pharmacies and bakeries, as well as stores selling food. All government services will be suspended, with a total closure of all educational institutions, from preschools to universities, until further notice.