Israeli Health Ministry: Reconsider Any Trip Abroad Due to Corona Fears  

Jerusalem, 27 February, 2020 (TPS) -- Following the rapid spread of the Coronavirus around the world, the Israeli Ministry of Health has issued new guidelines to the public, along with a travel warning for Italy, where hundreds of cases of the virus have been recorded and several deaths have been caused by the epidemic.

Starting Thursday, Israelis returning from Italy will need to stay at home in isolation for about two weeks.

As part of the guidelines, the ministry is calling on all Israelis to reconsider any trips abroad.

The Ministry of Health stated that “the government has issued a comprehensive travel warning for Italy and in view of the spread of the disease there – we urge residents of Israel not to travel to Italy.”

The Ministry of Health’s assessment is that there is a high chance that Corona has spread in other regions of Europe and in many other parts of the world, and therefore, the Ministry of Health is urging the public to consider the need for travel abroad in general, beyond the obligation for a 14 -day quarantine for those returning from countries in Asia.

In addition, the Ministry cautioned against traveling to conferences and international conventions, including trips to religious events where people from many countries gather. International conferences in Israel should also be avoided.

A few cases of Corona have been sighted in Israel, mostly Israelis returning from the east, and possibly some who have come in contact with tourists from South Korea, but there has yet to be a widespread outbreak.

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting 48 countries around the world.

China’s National Health Commission stated that at least 82,200 cases of Wuhan coronavirus have been confirmed in the country, including at least 2,800 deaths. Some 33,300 have recovered.