IDF chief to quarantine after exposure to virus carrier

Military says Aviv Kohavi feels well and will be tested for COVID-19, as he’s forced to self-isolate for 3rd time since pandemic began

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi speaks during an Israeli Navy ceremony in Haifa, on March 4, 2020. (Flash90)
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi speaks during an Israeli Navy ceremony in Haifa, on March 4, 2020. (Flash90)

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi will enter quarantine after exposure to a COVID-19 carrier, the military said Thursday.

Kohavi “spent time near a citizen who was verified as sick today,” according to an Israel Defense Forces statement.

The military said Kohavi feels well, has no symptoms and will soon be tested, adding that he will maintain a regular schedule “as much as possible” while in quarantine.

Kohavi was required to quarantine on two previous occasions after exposure to coronavirus carriers, but was not found to have contracted the virus.

In October, Kohavi hosted his in-laws during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot in violation of a national lockdown, joining an extensive list of senior Israeli officials caught flouting coronavirus restrictions.

The IDF chief apologized for the incident, with the military chalking it up to a misunderstanding on whether it was permitted to host relatives in an open area, which was prohibited at the time.

As of Wednesday, there were 129 active coronavirus cases in the military, with another 1,684 in home quarantine.

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