The two Palestinians who attended Raiwind Tableeghi Ijtema – where thousands of Muslims also participated have contracted coronavirus.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that it was unclear where the two Palestinians — who returned to Gaza from Pakistan via Egypt earlier this month — contracted COVID-19. A statement from the Palestinian embassy in Islamabad said the two patients attended the event, which took place ‘despite the warning of the Pakistani authorities against conferences’.
The news agency quoted Omar al-Tabatibi, the grandson of one of the patients as saying, "my 79-year-old grandfather learnt about the conference by chance from a friend while he was in Pakistan so he wanted to attend.” Omar said his friend Amer Doghmosh had also attended the Raiwind Ijtema.
Omar said his grandfather after returning from Pakistan stayed several days in Egypt before taking the long journey overland to Gaza. "Maybe, my grandfather caught corona in Egypt and not Pakistan, no one knows," he added.
Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry said the two men were placed in quarantine immediately after crossing into Gaza and did not mix with the population. It described them as being in stable condition.
Earlier, United Nations had warned that a COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza could be disastrous, given the high poverty rates and weak health system in the coastal strip under Israeli blockade since 2007.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that it was unclear where the two Palestinians — who returned to Gaza from Pakistan via Egypt earlier this month — contracted COVID-19. A statement from the Palestinian embassy in Islamabad said the two patients attended the event, which took place ‘despite the warning of the Pakistani authorities against conferences’.
The news agency quoted Omar al-Tabatibi, the grandson of one of the patients as saying, "my 79-year-old grandfather learnt about the conference by chance from a friend while he was in Pakistan so he wanted to attend.” Omar said his friend Amer Doghmosh had also attended the Raiwind Ijtema.
Omar said his grandfather after returning from Pakistan stayed several days in Egypt before taking the long journey overland to Gaza. "Maybe, my grandfather caught corona in Egypt and not Pakistan, no one knows," he added.
Meanwhile, Gaza's health ministry said the two men were placed in quarantine immediately after crossing into Gaza and did not mix with the population. It described them as being in stable condition.
Earlier, United Nations had warned that a COVID-19 outbreak in Gaza could be disastrous, given the high poverty rates and weak health system in the coastal strip under Israeli blockade since 2007.