A report recently circulated via WhatsApp groups claims that the Palestinian government announced a total lockdown of all West Bank governorates due to the increasing spread of COVID-19 and fears of the new Chinese virus, “HMPV.” The text of the alleged report reads as follows:
“The Palestinian government has announced a complete lockdown of all West Bank governorates for five days starting Monday, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and fears of the spread of the new Chinese virus. According to the government decision, ‘movement and travel between governorates, cities, towns, villages, and camps are prohibited, except for medical teams.’
The statement also added: ‘Universities, institutes, all schools, and kindergartens will be closed, except for high school students (Tawjihi), who will continue in-person learning throughout the lockdown period.’ The government also emphasized a ban on weddings, parties, funeral homes, festivals, and gatherings.
The statement noted that banks and courts would operate under “emergency conditions,” according to instructions issued by the Monetary Authority (acting as the central bank) and the judiciary. These measures will take effect starting Monday morning for five days.”
Kashif verified the report and found it to be fabricated, with the text altered and misrepresented. Kashif contacted Anas Al-Deek, the Public Relations and Media Officer at the Ministry of Health, who confirmed that the report is fake.
Through keyword searches based on the text, the team discovered that the circulated report was partially extracted and altered from a broader report published by Anadolu Agency on 13/3/2021, titled “COVID-19: Palestine Announces Total Lockdown in the West Bank for Five Days.” The circulated report underwent the following changes:
1. The addition of the phrase “and fears of the spread of the new Chinese virus” at the beginning of the statement.
2. Removal of the sentence: “This was stated in a statement by the spokesperson of the Palestinian government, Ibrahim Melhem, on Saturday, as reported by Anadolu.”
3. Altering “The government also kept the decision” to “The government also emphasized” before the clause banning weddings, parties, and other gatherings.
China has implemented emergency measures amid the spread of the new HMPV virus, five years after the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite the emergency measures, Chinese authorities have downplayed the significance of these developments, labeling them as a seasonal winter event.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has not classified the outbreak as a global health emergency. However, the rise in cases in China has prompted authorities in Beijing to enhance monitoring systems.
An article by The Economic Times published on 3/1/2025, confirmed that Chinese health officials and the WHO have not recognized the situation as a pandemic or emergency.
| Spouters of Verification | Sources of Claim |
| Anas Al-Deek, the Public Relations and Media Officer أنس الديك alanadul الأناضول alhura الحرة altilfizyun alearabiu التلفزيون العربي economictimes | Groups on WhatsApp |