{"id":24467,"date":"2020-05-28T13:34:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T18:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/"},"modified":"2020-05-28T13:34:49","modified_gmt":"2020-05-28T18:34:49","slug":"dspr_covid_19_update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/","title":{"rendered":"DSPR COVID-19 Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DSPR_MECC.jpg\"Written by Dr. Bernard Sabella, <\/strong>Executive Secretary
Department of Service for Palestinian Refugees
Jerusalem, May 28, 2020<\/p>\n

On Covid-19 it looks like some down trending in infections and speeding up of recoveries have occurred across the region.\u00a0 The\u00a0 relatively low mortality experienced in the countries where DSPR works is due according to analysts to\u00a0 \u2018demographic good fortune\u2019 with more\u00a0 younger generations in the population and the fact that this virus is age-gradient, meaning that the elderly are more prone to infections than the younger groups. \u00a0The death rate per million population according to worldometers<\/a> is 0.6 for Palestine; 0.9 for Lebanon and Jordan and 31 for Israel.<\/p>\n

In contrast Germany and Finland hailed as having successfully dealt with the pandemic have death rates per million of 102 and 56, respectively.\u00a0 The figures for Spain with 580\/million; Italy with 547\/million; UK with 552\/million and France with 438\/million may indeed corroborate what some analysts here say about \u2018the demographic good fortune.\u2019\u00a0 \u00a0Early preventive and restrictive measures, especially the strict lock down, taken by the various governments in the region also helped reign in the spreading of the virus.<\/p>\n

The Gaza Strip has seen 3 new cases among those quarantined making the total number of infected 61. The Ministry of Health in Gaza says that all cases are within the quarantine centers and that it has done close to 2,000 tests in the 18 quarantine centers in the Gaza Strip. We keep our fingers crossed for Gaza as some health experts there are concerned that with those infected may have indeed come in contact with others outside the quarantine centers. Besides the easing up of restrictions over the just concluded end of Ramadan holiday may contribute to a rise. \u00a0DSPR Gaza has always been office operational during the pandemic and has taken the needed precautions to ensure the safety of visitors to the three primary health clinics which their operations continuing uninterrupted. Starting June 1st<\/sup>, the vocational training centers will reopen to welcome the trainees except for the Secretariat and Graphic Design trainees that will continue with online learning. The Dressmaking course which hosts 23 women will also resume in the office with social distance and precautionary measures ensured. \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in Palestine, the total cases with the 3 new cases in Gaza and 5 new ones in the Hebron district went up to 613 of whom 365 have fully recovered. The Palestinian Prime Minister Dr. Mohammed Shtayyeh has declared the easing of restrictions and the gradual opening of the West Bank. Houses of worship, shops and factories as well as government ministries and offices are all expected to open as of Wednesday May 27, 2020. Travel across the different governorates in the West Bank is allowed and the checkpoints that Palestinian police had placed to halt circulation were lifted. DSPR West Bank Office work was resumed early in May. Currently assessment is being made on implementing the various projects and activities which include the construction of needed rural roads deemed essential for the farmers hard hit by the closures. Other activities planned are water distribution and ACT Alliance relief operations for animal feed to the Bedouin communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Israel has seen only 16 new cases during the last 24 hours and with 14,486 recovered which is allowing the easing of restrictions and the opening of most of the economy, including restaurants, bars, and other entertainment and sports outlets. The country is experiencing the \u2018new normal\u2019 and most people on the streets and in public do not even wear masks anymore, which is quite concerning for fear of a second wave. \u00a0DSPR Nazareth continues with its Acre Women\u2019s program and plans to have a virtual inter-group meeting for students from different Jewish and Arab schools in the next couple of weeks. Likewise, the youth leadership program which continued online during the lockdown would see small groups meeting face to face with safety precautions ensured when schools open and become functional which is expected within the next two weeks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Lebanon has 1,140 total cases with 26 deaths and 21 new cases in the last 24 hours. The financial meltdown currently experienced in Lebanon is further complicating the effects of \u00a0the pandemic on the poorest sectors of the population. Officials are warning of a major food crisis among the newly unemployed, chronically impoverished and those living in underprivileged conditions. DSPR Lebanon has been feeling the effects of the financial situation as the fall of the Lebanese Pound has put pressure on the employees of the different programs, the value of their salary has dropped by 100% while the purchasing power of the local currency has weakened with inflation skyrocketing. The Dbayeh Camp library and afternoon activities continue for a couple of days per week which ease the duress felt due to home confinement. \u00a0Continuous assessment is being made as to the resumption of full operations whenever the state of lockdown is finished. The office is operational at least three days a week with the insistence of Sylvia to make the trip.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jordan has 720 cases with 586 fully recovered and 9 deaths. No new cases were recorded within the last 24 hours. Government ministries and offices were opened \u00a0on Wednesday, May 27, but schools and other educational institutions remain closed. Movement within each governorate such as Amman is allowed but not across the different governorates.\u00a0 DSPR Jordan went back to office on May 27. They are seeking permission from the Ministry of Social Development to enable the\u00a0 DSPR Staff and Field Workers \u00a0to move freely across the governorates in order to resume their programs and activities. The DSPR office remains \u00a0in contact with Center Supervisors in the four refugee camps and in the health clinic in order to assess the situation in preparation for resuming activities.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Central Office, full operations have resumed since May 11. We are enjoying the company of each other and pray that all our friends, partners and colleagues will soon go back to office work. The feeling of being face-to-face with colleagues certainly beats the zoom meetings and other online means. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Dr. Bernard Sabella, Executive SecretaryDepartment of Service for Palestinian RefugeesJerusalem, May 28, 2020 On Covid-19 it looks like some down trending in infections and speeding up of recoveries have occurred across the region.\u00a0 The\u00a0 relatively low mortality experienced … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20010,"featured_media":24468,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[],"topic":[20271,20237,20314],"region":[20025,20023,20024,20022],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDSPR COVID-19 Update - Global Ministries<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DSPR COVID-19 Update - Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Written by Dr. Bernard Sabella, Executive SecretaryDepartment of Service for Palestinian RefugeesJerusalem, May 28, 2020 On Covid-19 it looks like some down trending in infections and speeding up of recoveries have occurred across the region.\u00a0 The\u00a0 relatively low mortality experienced … Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-28T18:34:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/DSPR_MECC-4.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Middle East & Europe - Global Ministries\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Middle East & Europe - Global Ministries\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/\",\"name\":\"DSPR COVID-19 Update - Global Ministries\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-28T18:34:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-28T18:34:49+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#\/schema\/person\/446b6f8492d6e1e8a620fbef58ed876f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/dspr_covid_19_update\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"DSPR COVID-19 Update\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/\",\"name\":\"Global Ministries\",\"description\":\"Global Ministries is a common missional witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ. 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