The Gaza Strip recorded an alarming increase in reported COVID-19 cases as the Israeli-blockaded territory registered more than 1000 daily infections for the past couple of weeks.
Nearly all of Gaza has now been declared a "red zone" by the Ministry of Health due to widespread community transmission, with positive rates ranging from 30% to 38% for all individuals tested.
While hospitals struggle to admit new patients due to inadequate intensive care unit (ICU) capacity and critical shortages of essential drugs, the city has received only 80,000 vaccine doses, far less than is needed to inoculate a population of more than 2 million.
"The situation is scary. Every day I see people dying of COVID-19. When I am at home, I do every possible remedy that I can think of that could increase the immunity of my children," Susanne, a 41-year-old mother of four, said, according to the official site of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "I always wonder how to protect them and how to protect myself so that they don’t have to face my death."
Authorities in the Palestinian enclave implemented measures to stymie virus cases such as night curfew and banning vehicle movement after 7 p.m. The move came with the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan as questions arose in Muslim-majority countries over public adherence to health measures such as wearing masks or social distancing during celebration amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is steadily deteriorating. However, even before the virus outbreak, Gaza has been suffering economically because of a brutal blockade by Israel and Egypt. Four out of five families are in precarious work and do not have a stable income, the unemployment rate was at a record, exceeding 50%, with youth unemployment reaching almost 70%.
"I follow the news about COVID-19 and the second or third wave in Gaza, name it as you wish. The virus will remain among us, and we must adapt and live with it. Ramadan is a good season to increase sales, I cannot close under any circumstances," said Rawan, 26, cosmetics shop saleswoman.
The Palestinian enclave, hemmed in by a large concrete barrier, the Egyptian border and the Mediterranean Sea, had been largely spared by the COVID-19 illness for much of last year.