Israeli defence minister closes down Bethlehem city amid Covid-19 outbreak

Israeli Defence Minister Naftali Bennett shut down entry to and exit from the Palestinian city of Bethlehem amid coronavirus outbreak, Sputnik news agency quoted Israeli media report on Friday.

According to Channel 13, Bennett agreed on the closure with the military leadership and with the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories late on Thursday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the state of emergency Thursday. 

The Palestinian authorities said they were shutting down schools and universities for 30 days. Earlier on Thursday, the country's Health Ministry reported seven new suspected coronavirus cases.

According to the World Health Organisation as of Thursday, there are four confirmed cases in Palestine and 15 in Israel. The grand total of confirmed cases outside of China reached 14,768. - Bernama