Egypt and Gaza reopen the border for the third time since the start of the COVID

The crossing between Egypt and the blockaded Palestinian Gaza Strip reopened this Monday for the third time since the beginning of the pandemic in March and only for four days to allow the transit of students, the sick and foreigners.

Passengers are subject to strict security measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which Gaza managed to prevent inside until August when the first infections were detected in populated areas.

The passengers who left the enclave were tested for the coronavirus on Sunday night and today were taken by bus to the border following health measures to prevent COVID-19, reported the Interior Ministry of the Hamas Islamist movement, which controls the enclave.

To return to Gaza, travellers must present a negative COVID-19 test carried out within 48 hours of the trip and only in cases of a positive test will they have to comply with quarantine.

Closed since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the crossing was first opened on 11 August for three days and for a similar period on 27 September. Then 2,659 people left Gaza and 819 entered, and were quarantined for a week.

Gaza remained virus-free for the first six months of the coronavirus by controlling cases in border hospitals to prevent the spread in the densely populated interior.

At the end of August the first infections were detected inside the enclave and the more than two million inhabitants were confined for almost a month, after which restrictions and a curfew were imposed, which are being progressively eased.

The impact of COVID-19 has so far been moderate, with more than 2,600 cases infected and 17 deaths since March.