Ramallah, Aug 8 (IANS): A senior Palestinian official announced that 95 per cent of the recent Covid-19 infections in the West Bank are of the Delta variant.

Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila told reporters here that the Delta variant is spreading in all West Bank towns, reports Xinhua news agency.

She clarified that until now, "the epidemiological situation in the West Bank does not need to go for a lockdown", adding that the Health Ministry needs assistance to limit the spread of the deadly virus, and then take all the needed measures later.

Al-Kaila said that keeping cities and economic institutions opened and resuming education at schools and universities "requires a societal responsibility through citizens' awareness to prevent the virus from spreading on a large scale".

"The recorded cases in Palestine are witnessing a slight increase, and the curve is rising from what it was a few days ago," she said, adding she is deeply concerned that "this is an indication of the entry of the fourth wave of the pandemic".

Meanwhile, al-Kaila called on every Palestinian aged over 18 years old to immediately go to the vaccination centres in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and abide by the precautionary measures of wearing face masks and social distancing.

On Saturday, the Health Mministry recorded 136 new Covid-19 cases and 33 recoveries in the Palestinian territories.

It also said 608,155 people were vaccinated in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip so far, including 423,340 who received the second dose of vaccine.