After the first infection with the Corona virus was detected in the Gaza Strip on the twenty-third of last May, a 77-year-old woman from Khan Yunis, the strip turned into a new focus for the virus, with a large number of infections recorded And deaths.
In light of the lack of capabilities and the scarcity of aid for a large number of people, amounting to a little less than two million, experts sounded the alarm in Gaza, fearing that the epidemic would get out of control, in light of the inability of hospitals to absorb the increasing cases of infection, which forced the Ministry of Health to request international assistance.
The Corona epidemic developed alarmingly, but it did not reach the point of a humanitarian catastrophe in light of the decrease in the number of injuries during the past few days, which removed a great burden from the sector.
Despite the arrival of the first batch of the Russian "Sputnik" vaccine, amounting to 2000 vaccines, this number appears to be small compared to the population, and therefore the eyes are moving towards bringing more vaccinations to help the serious cases, which number about 21, noting that the current injuries amount to 1929 cases out of 54398 cases since the beginning of the virus spread.
And 543 patients died as a result of the virus, and this is not an indication if we take into account the new strains of the virus that are spreading rapidly, especially the British and South African strains, but there is reassurance in Gaza because these two strains did not reach the Strip.
In light of the decrease in casualties, the Ministry of Interior in Gaza announced the lifting of restrictions and the night-time ban imposed to confront the Corona virus, thus reducing preventive measures, with the exception of banning popular markets to prevent large and mass gatherings in view of the large population density in the Gaza Strip.
These days, an average of positive examinations reaches 9 percent, compared to more than 34 percent during the past three months, which contributed to the opening of mosques and the return of primary school students.
And if the population and health authorities do not deal with the epidemic, it will quickly spread again, given the absence of aid and the scarcity of resources. Hence, the Gaza Strip urgently needs large shipments of vaccines to overcome the virus, and to spare the region a humanitarian disaster in light of the suffering of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees from a lack of funding.
Abdel Nasser Sobeh, the emergency assistance coordinator for the World Health Organization in the Gaza Strip, warned of a possible collapse of health care for Corona patients, despite the air of optimism caused by the low index of injuries.
In the short term, the Gaza Strip needs medical assistance, and there is a call for the international community to provide medical devices, said Fathi Abu Warda, an advisor to the Palestinian Minister of Health. If this help does not arrive, the numbers of injuries and deaths will rise again.
And the Ministry of Health in the sector announced that the vaccine is the best option to limit the spread of Covid 19, calling on the public who wish to receive the vaccine to register through the online application of the ministry´s website or the smart phone store. The question that arises is: Will this small number of vaccines suffice to lift the sector out of a confirmed health crisis, or will international health aid arrive quickly to save the sector from the virus?
