Sewing factories in the Gaza Strip are back to working at full capacity for the first time in years, producing masks, gloves and protective gowns, some of which are bound for Israel.
ABC News’ Devin Dwyer reports on a new rapid saliva swab tests that could help boost testing access nationwide.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- For the first time in years, sewing factories in the Gaza Strip are back to working at full capacity — producing masks, gloves and protective gowns, some of which are bound for Israel.
So far, Gaza appears to have been largely spared from the coronavirus pandemic, with only 17 cases detected, all within quarantine facilities set up for those returning from abroad. Many still fear an outbreak in the impoverished territory, which is home to 2 million people and where the health care system has been battered by years of conflict. But for now, authorities are cautiously allowing most businesses to stay open.
Another factory, Unipal 2000, is able to employ 800 workers across two shifts to produce protective equipment around the clock. “Despite the siege in Gaza, we export these masks and protective clothes to the whole world without exception," Bashir Bawab, the owner of Unipal 2000, said. “We feel we are doing a humanitarian duty.”
Such wages are typical in the depressed Gazan economy, but would barely keep a family afloat. It costs around $250 a month to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Israel began easing some restrictions after the 2014 Gaza war, and the factory reopened two years later. But by then most of its clients had found suppliers elsewhere, so it only operated intermittently.Gisha, an Israeli group that advocates for easing the blockade on Gaza, appealed to Israeli leaders to do more to promote economic activity in the territory.
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