麻豆APP

Issued 3 December?2020

Highlights

• The oPt?continues to?witness?a?significant surge?of SARS-CoV-2 cases in the community, especially in the West Bank. The cumulative total of COVID-19 cases in oPt surpassed 100,000
• The risk that the health system may reach its capacity limits and get overwhelmed remains high
• Decisive public health measures?and?strict?adherence?to?hygiene?protocols?and physical?distancing?are?still?needed?to?regain?control?and reduce?the?spread?of the?disease
• Essential medical supplies and equipment, including lab testing kits and ventilators,?are arriving in Gaza and West Bank to expand?treatment capacities, including for intensive care units
• The Palestinian Authority,?in partnership?with WHO and UNICEF, continues preparatory efforts for the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021

WHO preparedness, readiness and response

WHO is continuing to work with partners to support Ministry of Health’s (MoH) efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Surveillance??

• The WHO risk assessment remains very high
• The oPt?continues to?witness a concerning increase in COVID-19 cases, with significant community transmission of SARS-CoV-2?over?the?reporting?period,?in the West Bank and?in the?Gaza?Strip.?The West Bank is for the first?time reporting more than 1,000 cases a day
• A?27% increase in confirmed cases?(by 12,912)?and?a?17% increase in?deaths (by 97) was reported between 27November-3 December, compared to the previous week (20-26 November). The overall Case Fatality Rate (CFR) remains at 0.8 %. The CFR is the proportion of deaths among identified confirmed cases
• Gaza accounts for 42% of all active cases, followed by the West Bank governorates of Nablus (14%), Bethlehem (7%), Hebron (6%), Jenin (6%), Ramallah (5%), Tulkarm (4%) and East Jerusalem (4%)
• On?3 December,?1,689?new confirmed cases were reported in?the West Bank,?the highest number over a 24-hour period?since the start of the pandemic
• An increase in the number of infected health workers is also raising concerns about adherence to infection prevention and control?protocols?in hospitals
• Authorities are discussing?additional?closures and movement restrictions to mitigate a further increase in case numbers
• WHO strongly recommends communities?to?implement effective prevention protocols to help curb the current increasing transmission trends,?to save lives and to ease the pressure on the health?system.

Laboratory diagnostics???

• The number of tests conducted in the oPt?has increased?by 18%?in the reporting period (27—3?December), with?55,867?more tests conducted compared?to?the previous week
• With the increased community transmission and due to resource limitations?in the Gaza Strip,?local health authorities?on December 1?revised?the criteria?for?COVID-19?RT-PCR?testing,?to target high risk groups, including:
  • Symptomatic contacts and suspected cases above 50 years
  • Symptomatic contacts and suspected cases of high-risk groups
  • Symptomatic?MoH?and Ministry of Information?employees
  • Patients admitted for more than 48?hours?in?departments for?intensive care, internal medicine, children, oncology, thoracic and respiratory?treatment
• Symptomatic suspected cases of healthy young individuals, including children, are diagnosed clinically as COVID-19 cases and are requested to self-isolate for 14 days
• While the continued supply of lab testing kits and supplies remains a challenge?in Gaza, testing has been sustained. On Dec 1,?Gaza Central Laboratory reported critical shortages in COVID-19 detection and extraction kits, with supplies expected to run out?by?3?December.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Isolation and Case Management, Operations Support and Logistics?

• In the?Gaza Strip,?the overall occupancy rate?of dedicated?COVID-19?hospital?beds is?69%,?with 343 of 500 beds occupied.?Currently, of?the?70 Intensive Care Unit beds, 43?or 61% are occupied, including 5 patients on ventilators
• The?provision?of oxygen?for treatment of COVID-19 patients?at the European Gaza Hospital continues to be a challenge;?the Health Cluster?continues to?work with partners to resolve supply issues in early 2021
• Under the leadership of the?MoH,?Palestinian National Institute of Public Health?continued conducting Basic Life Support training in?November for 85 MoH and private clinic doctors, nurses, and emergency medical teams. The Basic Assessment and Support in Intensive Care course, conducted in partnership with Juzoor for Health and Social Development and Augusta Victoria Hospital, also continued this month for 20 doctors and nurses.

COVID-19 vaccination:??

• The National Immunisation Technical Advisory?Group, led by the Minister of Health, met on December?2 to review the status of COVID-19 vaccine?preparatory efforts.?WHO and UNICEF are?working with?partners to?support?the?MoH?in developing?preparedness plans?and?required?documentation.

Access to essential health services?

• As of 23 November, the Palestinian Ministry of Health resumed the coordination patient and companion permit applications in the Gaza Strip through its Health Liaison Office. On the same day, WHO stopped accepting new permit applications through the temporary coordination mechanism set up on 6 September to support patients and companions requiring exit from the Gaza Strip.
• From 6 September to 23 November 2020, 1,359 patient permit applications and 1,604 patient companion applications were submitted through the mechanism. By 23 November 2020, responses had been received for 1,075 permit applications for patient and 1,316 applications for companions. For patient applications, 767 (71%) were approved, 15 (1%) denied, and 293 (27%) delayed. For companion applications, 571 (43%) were approved, 75 (6%) were denied?and 670 (51%) were delayed.