RAMALLAH/GAZA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestine recorded fatalities among the vaccinated amid a lack of PCR tests to detect the new Delta mutation AY4.2, a senior health official said Wednesday.
In a statement, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said that the West Bank recorded several deaths, "the last of which was about two weeks ago of a person who was vaccinated with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine."
She called on Palestinians to wear facemasks, no matter "whether they are vaccinated or not," adding that "a person is exposed to infection and his life is in danger because the virus settles in the lungs from the first day."
"The new strain is under study to see if it entered the Palestinian territories or not," al-Kaila said, adding that the health ministry lacks the laboratory PCR tests to detect the new Delta mutation.
Palestine on Wednesday recorded five deaths and 275 new cases in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry's daily COVID-19 report.
On Tuesday, Israeli media reported that the first case of new Delta mutation AY4.2 was diagnosed in Israel. Palestinian health officials in Gaza and the West Bank expect the new variant to reach the Palestinian territories soon. Enditem
