Gaza caught between full lockdown or collapse of health sector amid COVID-19 surge
A health catastrophe looms on the horizon of the Gaza Strip amid the already fragile health-care sector, while the government hesitates to impose a full lockdown due to the deteriorating economic situation.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The deteriorating health-care system in the Gaza Strip warns of a health disaster due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases, as 32% of daily tests turn out positive. Since March, 21,461 cases have been registered in Gaza, with 9,627 active cases as of Dec. 2, and about 111 deaths.
Rami al-Abadla, director of the Infection Control Department at the General Hospital Administration of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, “The COVID-19 infection rate in the Gaza Strip foreshadows a larger spread of the virus. In addition, many cases are still unregistered because some infected people do not inform the ministry of the people they came in contact with.”
Abadla warned, “The coming period will be difficult. The number of critical cases is expected to rise due to the lack of medical equipment and shortage of [medical] oxygen needed for such cases.”
The government in Gaza is considering imposing a complete lockdown, but Abadla explained that this would be a tough option in the Gaza Strip, saying, “A full lockdown would help reduce the number of cases, but the situation in the Gaza Strip is different.” He explained that a lockdown would not have the desired results since there are overcrowded neighborhoods where the virus can easily spread.
