Pandemic claims further 21 lives in Palestine

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian health authorities on Saturday confirmed 21 additional fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic along with 1,306 infections within the past 24 hours.

Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said nine deaths and 514 infections were recorded in the occupied West Bank while 12 fatalities and 792 infections were registered in the Gaza Strip.

She noted that the recovery percentage in Palestine reached 82.9%, the percentage of active cases 16.2% and the deaths' percentage 0.9% of the total infections.

Al-Kaila added that 121 patients were receiving health care in the intensive care units, including 30 depending on respirators.

The new figures bring the Palestinian virus count to 148,540 confirmed cases, including 1,406 deaths, and 123,121 recoveries.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara