RAMALLAH, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Authority (PA) hailed on Thursday China's experience in combating the novel coronavirus.

China's experience in combating the virus includes isolation, social spacing, and staying at home, said Ibrahim Melhem, spokesman of the PA government, at a news briefing.

"I believe that the Chinese experience was the major medical recipe," said Melhem.

He called on the Palestinians in the West Bank to follow the steps of the Chinese experience by staying at home, abide by home quarantine and just leave for emergency reasons to keep being safe.

Melhem announced that no new cases have been recorded in Palestine on Thursday, adding that the number of the infected cases in the Palestinian territories is 263, including 44 recoveries and one death.

Meanwhile, Kamal al-Shakhra, primary healthcare director in the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that since March 5, the ministry has so far conducted 16,086 tests.

The cases in the West Bank have increased over the past ten days because of the return of Palestinian workers from their work in Israel and Israeli settlements.