Gaza: 2,500 Covid-19 tests donated to the Ministry of Health

The Holy Father donated 2,500 Covid-19 tests to the Gaza Health Ministry, through the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

The delivery of the kits was coordinated by the Apostolic Delegation, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Caritas Jerusalem, and took place on June 17, 2020. This was announced by the Patriarchate itself.

Additional Covid-19 test kits were also sent to the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem.

The kits were delivered by Caritas Jerusalem and Father Gabriel Romanelli, Latin pastor of the Holy Family in Gaza.  

With the spread of the virus in Gaza, where some 2 million people live, local health authorities have complained of a shortage of diagnostic tests and also made requests for 100 ventilators and 140 beds for intensive care units.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, there have been 72 Covid-19 cases in Gaza (15 are still active) out of a total of 1284 cases in the Palestinian Territories (data as of June 23). The low percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 could be an indication of the lack of testing done.

Caritas Jerusalem and the Ministry of Health in Gaza, reports the Latin Patriarchate, "have prepared a contingency plan that includes, among other things, provision of medical services in the Caritas Center, activation of three mobile medical teams to provide a 24-hour home service for the treatment of non-Covid-19 patients."

As in Israel, also in the West Bank in the last two weeks there have been new peaks of infections: the highest in Hebron with 551 cases, followed by Nablus with 32.

The donation is part of the initiatives promoted by the Emergency Fund, desired by Pope Francis, to help the countries most affected by the spread of Covid-19.