Israelis returning from Egypt instructed to enter home quarantine

Israelis returning from Egypt have been instructed to enter a 14-day home quarantine since their last day in the country, among rising coronavirus cases there, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

The order went into effect retroactively for anyone who returned from Egypt in the past 14 days.

Those entering self-quarantine are requested to report it on the ministry’ website here.

While few Israelis venture to Cairo and other cities in the heartland of Egypt, thousands travel to the Sinai desert, vacationing in resort towns and hut-villages along the Gulf of Aqaba.

On Sunday, the Interior Ministry announced that all non-citizens coming from Egypt would be barred entry entirely.

The announcement came as authorities in Cairo announced that a German tourist died of the novel coronavirus at a Sinai resort, in the first reported death from the epidemic recorded in Africa.

“The 60-year-old German citizen showed symptoms of a fever (and) checked into Hurghada hospital on 6 March,” before testing positive for COVID-19, it said in a statement.

The tourist, who arrived from Germany a week earlier, died after having refused to be transferred to an isolation ward until March 7 once his breathing had been affected by “acute pneumonia.”

On Saturday, Cairo announced 45 suspected cases of Egyptians and foreigners contracting the virus aboard a Nile cruise ship.

The boat was carrying 171 people — 101 foreigners and 70 Egyptian crew — Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli told reporters.

Besides the cruise ship cases, Egypt has detected three cases of the virus, the first of which was announced on February 14.

Other countries, including France, have announced that six travelers returning from Egypt had tested positive for the virus.

Israel has already required returning Israelis from several countries to self-quarantine, and barred foreigners from a slew of European and Asian countries.

Some 22,000 Israelis are reported in self-quarantine, according to the Health Ministry, and large events such as concerts and sporting matches have been canceled.

Israelis have also been advised against all non-vital international travel.

Earlier Monday, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman said that it was likely there would be an announcement later in the day that travelers from all over the world will be required to enter home quarantine after entering Israel.

The health minister dismissed as “fake news” the suggestion that casting such a broad net would be an attempt to not single out the United States, where infection rates appear to be rocketing.

Fourteen Israelis were added Sunday evening to the list of those who have contracted the coronavirus, including the first in the country whose source of infection was unknown, bringing the total number of cases to 39.

According to Health Ministry figures, less than 4,000 people have been tested for the virus.