Doctor holds hand of coronavirus patient
Doctor holds hand of coronavirus patientiStock

The Palestinian Authority announced on Tuesday that it was prolonging a lockdown in Judea and Samaria for five days following a spike in coronavirus infections.

The lockdown, which began on Friday, will be extended until Sunday evening, PA cabinet spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said, according to AFP.

More than 4,570 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the illness was first recorded in PA territories and 17 have died, according to the PA “health ministry.”

A week ago those figures stood at 2,356 cases and five deaths.

The PA imposed a full lockdown after the first coronavirus cases were identified in early March, lifting it at the end of May before bringing it back last week.

After the easing of a previous coronavirus lockdown in late May, PA “health minister” Mai al-Kaila said the PA had entered a second wave of infections "more dangerous than the first".