1/16/22
While Israel continues to have a massive spike in Omicron infections, Palestinian citizens of Israel have the highest rates of infection and low rates of testing. Palestinians married to Israeli citizens and legal residents of Israel are often unable to download the Health Ministry’s Green Pass, even when vaccinated in Israel, which severely limits their ability to access certain institutions such as gyms, hotels, and theaters.
In Gaza and the West Bank, the rates of increase were fairly flat last week but are now rising, currently at a third of previous peaks. Severe cases and death rates remain low, which may be a better measure of the impact of the pandemic. Gaza continues to struggle with Israel’s blockade of needed diagnostic and medical devices, and oxygen concentrators; most of the X-ray machines, CT and MRI’s, are malfunctioning. Only a little over 1/3 of the population in the occupied Palestinian territories are vaccinated and there is scarce reporting on booster rates which are likely low.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports the pandemic has intensified an already stretched healthcare system, increasing poverty levels and humanitarian vulnerabilities. Over 60% of households in the oPt report their monthly income has decreased as a result of COVID-19. The key drivers of the humanitarian crisis, combined with COVID-19, have deepened the vulnerability of Palestinians and in turn have increased the demand for humanitarian assistance across the oPt. This trend is likely to continue in 2022. Overall, 2.1 million Palestinians, 1.3 million (63% of the population) in Gaza and 750,000 (23%) in the West Bank, will need humanitarian assistance in 2022.
Given the infectiousness of Omicron, we can expect a major spike in infection rates, if not rates of severe disease, in the oPt with Palestinian day workers traveling in and out of Israel, Palestinians in Israeli prisons, and settlers living in the West Bank being likely sources of infection. At the same time, given the low level of resources for testing and reporting both positive tests and accurate cause of death, a dramatic undercount is likely. To understand the pandemic in the oPt more fully, it may be necessary to examine the trend in overall death rates over previous years (excess deaths likely due to Covid and coronavirus-related delays or barriers to care), as well as the economic impact (people too ill to work but not seeking care and others unable to work because of exposures or caretaking responsibilities).
January 10 Occupied territories
According to the WHO, 27 Palestinians died of coronavirus in the past week, a downward trend since the most recent rise at the end of December and much lower than earlier peaks.
The Gaza Health Ministry urges the international community to press Israel to let in more medical equipment, since “We don’t have the ability” to deal with the wave of Omicron infections. In Ramallah, a spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry said there have been 291 new Omicron cases in the West Bank and Gaza combined so far this week (most of them in the West Bank), up from 49 last week.
January 11 Gaza
Ministry of Health official stated that while the world is confronting the new variant “Omicron”, the Israeli occupation is hindering the entry of several diagnostic and medical devices that help to reinforce the health system in the enclave, which is on the doorstep of the fourth wave of COVID-19 new variant. The Ministry indicated that most of the x-ray machines, CT and MRI diagnostic radiology machines in Gaza’s hospitals, which are vital in diagnosing patients with cancer and strokes, are malfunctioning. MOH stressed the lack of oxygen-generating devices, which are important devices for ICU patients.
we4gaza
Some cases of Omicron infection have been reported in the Gaza Strip. The Health Ministry said that its fears lie in the recording of a large number of cases of the new COVID-19 mutation, which needs health care above the level of medical capabilities. The Ministry appealed to human rights and international organizations to intensify their pressure on the occupation to allow the entry of the necessary medical devices and equipment to confront the new mutation. In the West Bank, Palestinian Authority health officials have identified 23 cases of the Omicron variant. Neither the West Bank nor Gaza has yet seen a corresponding rise in active infections, however, which have hovered around 4,000 for the past few weeks.
January 11 Israel
Palestinian citizens of Israel – more than 20% of Israel’s population – represent fewer than 10% of Israelis tested. As of January 10th, data from the Arab Emergency Committee, a panel of public health experts and public figures that was established at the beginning of the pandemic, pegged 22 Arab communities as “red” – the highest rate of infection – and another 21 just one notch lower at “orange.” This article in Haaretz attributes the low rate of testing to “apathy,” “skepticism,” and “lack of trust,” but also acknowledges the unrealistic expenses of establishing, staffing, and supplying testing centers for local authorities.
January 12 Occupied territories
The Palestinian territories have so far registered nearly 300 cases of COVID-19’s new variant. To contain its spread, authorities plan to step up the mass vaccination campaign and keep encouraging the masses to adhere to social distancing and personal hygiene.
In Israel, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is still grabbing headlines, with more than 30,000 new daily cases registered on the 11th.
[The percent vaccinated in this report were very out of line from all other reports.]
January 13 Israel
Palestinians who are married to Israeli citizens and are legal residents of Israel are unable to download the Health Ministry’s Green Pass, which certifies that they are vaccinated against the coronavirus or recovered from the virus. Health regulations require that members of the public show a proof of vaccination to gain admission to certain public places, including restaurants, mall food courts, museums, movie theaters and fitness centers.
Many Palestinians reported difficulties in acquiring the Green Pass, even if they were vaccinated in Israel. The Health Ministry said in response that the matter is being dealt with, but affected Palestinians say the issue is persisting.
January 14 Gaza
Ministry of Health date reveal in the last 24 hours:
Recovered cases – 130, total cases: 188,488
Active cases – 1,268
Deaths – 0, total 1,729
Vaccinations – total doses received in Gaza: 1,957,960, total number of vaccinated citizens: 553,823
Total cumulative cases in the occupied territories: 474,234 per WHO
January 14 Occupied territories
Reuters tracked 48 COVID infections per 100,000 residents in oPt over the last week, or 13% of peak. Palestinian territories are reporting 324 new infections on average each day. There have been 474,762 infections and 5,007 coronavirus-related deaths reported in oPt since the pandemic began. At least 3,383,211 doses of vaccine have been administered in oPt so far. Assuming every person needs two doses, that’s enough to cover about 36.1% of the population. During the last week reported, Palestinian territories averaged 9,512 doses each day. At that rate, it will take a further 99 days to administer enough doses for another 10% of the population.
January 14 Eastern Mediterranean region
A “shocking increase” of COVID-19 cases across the Eastern Mediterranean region has likely been caused by the Omicron variant, according to the World Health Organization. Despite a 13% decrease in COVID-19 related deaths, cases in the region surged by 89% in the first week of January. A total of 15 countries in the region have reported Omicron cases. This includes Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and the UAE.
Mandhari warned that preparations must now take place for “the worst case scenario”. The WHO has recommended that countries with reported Omicron cases should now work to increase levels of rapid diagnostic testing. Relatedly, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip warned of the spread of Omicron amid a shortage of medical equipment.
Middle East Monitor
January 15 Occupied territories
Eight people have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the last 24 hours as 332 new cases were confirmed today said the Ministry of Health. Its daily report on the pandemic in Palestine revealed that six of the deaths were recorded in the West Bank where 252 new cases were confirmed and 190 patients have recovered.
Two people died in the Gaza Strip where 80 new cases were confirmed and 120 patients recovered.
The Ministry said 93 corona patients are getting treatment in hospitals and corona centers in Palestine while 53 are in critical condition and are in intensive care, including 19 who are attached to ventilators.
Review of MOH numbers over the past week reveals 0-4 deaths per day. The WAFA site reported 8 today. Johns Hopkins using WHO data noted 51 deaths in past week, which is lower than previous months.
January 18 International
WHO press conference on Covid 19 covering a wide range of topics, overview of international realities and responses.
January 19 Gaza
This week between 0 and 3 people died per day from the coronavirus, bringing the total death rate to 1,734 with a total of 188,853 recoveries.
January 21 Occupied territories
Reuters reports that the average number of new infections reported in Palestinian territories has been consistently increasing for 12 days. Over the last week in oPt, 831 cases on average were reported each day, or 33% of peak. Palestinian territories have reported 480,583 infections and 5,042 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began. At least 3,425,379 doses of vaccines have been administered in oPt. Assuming every person needs two doses, that’s enough to cover about 36.6% of the population. During the last week reported, Palestinian territories averaged 3,012 doses each day. At that rate, it will take a further 312 days to administer enough doses for another 10% of the population. Since boosters are now widely recommended, the adequacy of this coverage shrinks accordingly.
Minister of Health Mai Alkaila said today that 1,468 new cases of COVID-19, five deaths and 486 recoveries were registered in Palestine during the last 24 hours.
In her daily report on the coronavirus pandemic, Alkaila said three deaths from COVID-19 were registered in the West Bank, while another two deaths were recorded in Gaza.
A total of 7,835 COVID-19 tests were conducted during the reporting period. In the Gaza Strip, 356 coronavirus tests came out positive, while the West Bank had 1,112 new cases. No update was available from occupied East Jerusalem.
The Health Minister said that in the West Bank, 88 patients of COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, of whom 58 are in intensive care, including 24 on ventilators.
She pointed out that the recovery rate in Palestine has so far reached 97%, while active cases rose to 2%. Deaths stood at 1% of total infections.
WAFA
January 22 Occupied territories
Two people have died of coronavirus in Palestine in the last 24 hours as 928 new cases were confirmed, today said the Ministry of Health.
One person died in the West Bank where 750 new cases were recorded and 391 patients have recovered, and the second person who died was in the Gaza Strip where 178 new cases and 70 recoveries were recorded.
The ministry said 92 Covid-19 patients are getting treatment in hospitals while 56 are critical in intensive care, including 23 who are attached to ventilators.
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA) published a 2022 humanitarian overview of the occupied Palestinian territories. With respect to Covid-19, the impact of the pandemic has also intensified, with a third wave underway in Gaza and a fourth in the West Bank, burdening the already-stretched health-care system and increasing poverty levels. The pandemic is also intensifying needs and vulnerabilities, with 62% of households in the oPt reporting that their monthly income had decreased as a result of COVID-19.
The key drivers of the humanitarian crisis combined with COVID-19, have deepened the vulnerability of Palestinians and in turn have increased the demand for humanitarian assistance across the oPt, a trend likely to continue in 2022. Overall, 2.1 million Palestinians, 1.3 million in Gaza and 750,000 in West Bank, will need assistance in 2022. Some 63% of all Gaza residents, and 23% of those in the West Bank require humanitarian assistance.
OCHA
