A Palestinian artist carves words "STAY HOME STAY SAFE" with sand on a beach in Gaza City, on April 12, 2020. Palestine said on Sunday that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 290. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

 
Palestine said on Sunday that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 290.

According to Director of Primary Healthcare at the Ministry of Health Kamal Shakhra, 58 cases have recovered and were discharged to return to their homes, while they are requested to commit to a two-week home quarantine.

He added that preparations are underway to allow the return of dozens of Palestinians to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing.

Meanwhile, Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said that there are 632 people under quarantine.

Health Ministry spokesperson in the Gaza Strip Ashraf al-Qedra told reporters that the healthcare system in the coastal enclave is in a critical condition, urging for needed equipment and test kits to face the pandemic.

Al-Qedra noted that the returning citizens expected to arrive on Monday will be put under a 21-day quarantine in centers run by the ministry.

Earlier on Sunday, the Palestinian government accused Israel of preventing Palestinian health authorities from monitoring the pandemic situation among Palestinians in East Jerusalem.