Ramallah, May 17 (IANS): Authorities in Palestine have said that the lockdown throughout the West Bank will be renewed during the upcoming Muslim religious holiday of Eid al-Fitr despite the slowdown in coronavirus cases.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said that the government has decided to ban movement of the public during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramzan to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said in a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah that movement will be banned in all cities, towns and villages for four days throughout the holiday starting from May 22 night.

Ishtaye told reporters that the government will consider easing the lockdown measures after the holiday depending on the situation of the coronavirus pandemic especially that many Palestinian workers will return from Israel into the West Bank for the holiday.

Meanwhile, businesses of all sectors were allowed to continue working as usual until the eve of the holiday.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Palestine has reached 554, of whom around 80 per cent have recovered.