Ramallah, Oct 10 (IANS): Saeb Erekat, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), announced that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"Thank you to those who prayed for me and wished me quick recovery after I was tested positive for Covid-19," Erekat said on Twitter on Friday.

Erekat added that he was self-isolating at home in the West Bank city of Jericho.

Also the chief Palestinian negotiator, Erekat said that he suffers from "difficult symptoms due to lack of immunity resulting from lung transplantation".

"But things are under control," he added.

Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said on Friday that nine new Covid-19 fatalities were recorded in Palestine as well as 498 fresh cases, which increased the death toll and the overall infection tally to 421 and 54,853, respectively.

Meanwhile, 766 more patients recovered from the coronavirus, raising the total numberto 47,317, according to al-Kaila.