Gaza records 162 new virus cases

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian health authorities registered 162 additional fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic in the blockaded Gaza Strip on Sunday.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said the seaside territory’s tally rose to 969 confirmed cases, including seven deaths and 89 recoveries.

“The number of active cases in Gaza rose to 873,” the ministry said, calling on residents to abide by health protocols to help stem the virus' spread in the strip.

The Hamas-led government imposed a lockdown in Gaza on Aug. 24 to help curb the outbreak in the blockaded enclave.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara