Gaza reported its first cases of COVID-19 in the general population on Monday, as authorities confirmed four infections in a refugee camp and security forces declared a full lockdown for 48 hours.
The cases were from one family in central Gaza, a government spokesman said, amid concern over the territory's potentially disastrous combination of poverty, densely populated refugee camps, and limited hospital capacity.
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"A full curfew will be imposed starting tonight and in all of the Gaza Strip," said Salama Marouf, chairman of the government's media office.
Gaza's Health Ministry said the cases were uncovered after a woman traveled to the West Bank, where she tested positive. A health ministry spokesman urged everyone who might have visited a supermarket outside a hospital in central Gaza to quarantine themselves and report to medics immediately.
Until Monday, the coastal strip, home to 2 million Palestinians, had reported no infections outside quarantine centers.
Arrivals had to spend 21 days in the centers on orders from Hamas, the terrorist group that has controlled Gaza for over a decade.
"Having this happen on top of the existing health system challenges is a matter of concern for us," said Dr. Ayadil Saparbekov, head of the World Health Organization's local Health Emergencies Team.
"We have been beefing up our support before this event by providing medical equipment and personal protective equipment as well as laboratory testing equipment," he said.
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