The Gazan “ministry of endowments and religions” on Monday issued a directive regarding public prayer in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus around the world.
The ministry's guidelines prohibit those who have the flu or other infectious diseases, the elderly, and those with a weak immune system from participating in public prayer in mosques because of the risk to their lives and the possibility of infecting others.
It was also noted in this context that mosques are a convenient source for transmitting infectious diseases because of the holding of five public services with worshipers standing near their friends.
The ministry instructed that the mandatory prayer in mosques be shortened, that people pray at home and that the women’s section in the mosques be closed as they are not required to obey the commandments regarding public prayer.
The ministry made clear that these preventive measures are in line with the current situation in which no cases of coronavirus have been detected in Gaza, and that patients infected with the virus are found, even more difficult steps will be taken, including banning access to mosques and public places.
On Sunday, the director general of the “Ministry of Health” in the Gaza Strip confirmed there have been no cases of the novel coronavirus in Gaza.
On Friday, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) headed by Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun, transferred approximately 200 coronavirus test kits to the Gaza Strip through the Erez crossing.
Gen. Abu Rukun said, "Viruses and diseases have no boundaries - and therefore preventing the spread of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip and eradicating its outbreak in the territories of Judea and Samaria are of prime Israeli interest. An outbreak of this kind could jeopardize the health of the people of Israel.”
Gaza authorities on Saturday declared a new set of precautionary measures amid concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus in the coastal enclave.
Among the measures announced was the shutting down of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt and the Erez crossing with Israel.
In addition, schools and universities in the Strip remain closed until the end of March and all citizens returning from outside Gaza will be placed in quarantine under strict supervision.
While the Gaza Strip is so far free of the novel coronavirus, more than 30 cases had been confirmed as of Saturday in Palestinian Authority-assigned areas of Judea and Samaria, which is run by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction.
Most of the cases of coronavirus in the PA have been recorded in the city of Bethlehem.