No labs to test for Omicron variant: How Palestinians cope up with new Covid threat

Palestine has sent 100 Covid-19 samples to an Israeli hospital to test for the Omicron variant, a senior official said.

The West Bank does not have labs to test for the new variant, so the samples were sent to Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila told state radio.

The majority of the samples are from Palestinians who had recently returned to the Palestinian territories from abroad, she said, noting that “any infection with the new variant will be announced on the media”, reports Xinhua news agency

The Minister called on the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to get vaccinated, saying that “this will make their immunity stronger against variants”.

On Sunday, the Palestinian territories recorded 275 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

On Saturday, the Palestinian authorities decided to impose new measures at the crossing points and terminals in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to combat the spread of the new variant.