By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Dr. Hanan Ashrawi became the second member of the PLO’s Executive Committee to test positive for Coronavirus, the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA reported on Monday.

Ashrawi, a renowned Palestinian politician, leader and intellectual is the head of the PLO’s Department of Public Diplomacy and Policy.

Announcement: We regret to announce that @DrHananAshrawi has tested positive for #COVID__19. We wish a speedy recovery. Here is the official announcement: pic.twitter.com/jnYEq94AQ5

— PLO Department of Public Diplomacy & Policy (@PalestinePDP) October 11, 2020

The news about Ashrawi contracting the disease was announced by the PLO’s Department of Public Diplomacy and Policy in a statement, which stated that its head, Ashrawi, 74, has tested positive for COVID-19, and therefore all her official engagements and scheduled events have been postponed until her recovery.

“We regret to announce that Dr. Hanan Ashrawi has tested positive for COVID-19. We wish her a speedy recovery,” the statement read. 

The other PLO member is Dr. Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the PLO’s Executive Committee, who had also tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

The Secretariat of the PLO Executive Committee and the NAD announce that Dr.Saeb Erekat, the PLO SG and the Head of the Negotiations Dept,has been infected with COVID-19,and wishes him a speedy recovery.We apologize for canceling all his appointments until his complete recovery. https://t.co/xUytieknl8

— Dr. Saeb Erakat الدكتور صائب عريقات (@ErakatSaeb) October 8, 2020

Updates on Erekat’s conditions were communicated on Saturday via his daughter, Dalal, who tweeted that the top Palestinian negotiator “is doing very well and his morale is great while he is residing in his Jericho house. Symptoms controlled and Inshallah we’ll witness a speedy recovery.” 

“Erekat, 65, received a lung transplant in October 2017, which raised concern about his health after contracting the coronavirus disease,” WAFA reported.

(The Palestine Chronicle)