A sharp rise in coronavirus infections in the Gaza Strip could overwhelm the Palestinian enclave’s meagre medical system by next week, public health advisers have said.

According to Reuters, Gaza, where the dense and poor population of two million is vulnerable to contagions, has logged 14,000 coronavirus cases and 65 deaths, mostly since August.

Seventy-nine of 100 ventilators for Covid-19 patients have been taken up, said Abdelraouf Elmanama, a member of Gaza’s pandemic task force.

“In 10 days the health system will become unable to absorb such a hike in cases and there might be cases that will not find a place at intensive care units,” he said, adding that the current 0.05 per cent mortality rate among Covid-19 patients could rise.