Gaza registers first cases of Covid-19 Delta variant

Gaza, Aug 23 (EFE).- The Gaza Strip registered its first cases of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, the enclave’s health ministry confirmed Monday.

Cases have been rapidly increasing in the Israeli-blockaded strip for 10 days, with over 650 infections reported in the past 24 hours, the highest rate since May.

To curb the spread of the virus, Gaza’s health authorities announced a series of restrictive measures, including banning hospital visits and making coronavirus vaccinations mandatory for all government employees.

Ashraf al-Qedra, Gaza’s health ministry spokesman, urged people to get inoculated and announced the start of a campaign encouraging vaccination acceptance, especially among older adults. Only 135,000 out of the enclave’s 2 million residents have been vaccinated.

The detection of the Delta variant, which was first identified in India, comes just a week after the start of the school year in Gaza, which was feared could contribute to a new outbreak of infections.EFE

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