Palestine announced the first 17 infected persons in the city of Bethlehem because this city received thousands of tourists and Pilgrims monthly to pray at the Church of Nativity, especially that Easter lent time has already started. The city was totally locked down, infected persons who tested positive were kept in quarantine, the tourists' groups were evacuated after three days of confinement and the people who dealt with the infected ones were quarantined at dedicated hotels with medical and humanitarian attention.
As schools, kindergartens, universities and other public spaces were totally shut down, measurements of e-learning and teleworking were put in place by each institution. This did not become a choice for the public sector but rather an imperative to contain the spread of COVID-19 after the first cases were confirmed in Bethlehem city.
The numbers were rising but not dramatically. Journalists were allowed to cover the daily lives and the situation on the ground, while the President and Prime Minister addressed the nation with pleads of cooperation and cautiousness.
On that morning, the girls arrived directly from the airport and did not enter the apartment but greeted the family from the elevator and went directly up to the third floor, taking all the necessary sanitary measurements upon arrival, in order to self-quarantine themselves.
This did not last for more than one night, as both of them showed symptoms with fever. The family called the Palestinian Health Institute who sent a sampling team around midnight and evacuated them directly to the hospital for medical attention and care. On the second morning they received confirmation that their test results were positive.
Moreover, as UNESCO is combatting fake news and disinformation, we assured Samir and the local community that no efforts should be spared while transparency and access to information is the short way of educating the public. The Palestinian government, which is taking an up scaled procedures and measurements during this unusual situation.
It is very encouraging to know that Katia and her friend are recovering very nicely and have joined their families as we are reading this story.
