Gantz orders opening of 3 new coronavirus hotels

Defense Minister Benny Gantz orders the opening of three new coronavirus hotels to house and treat both confirmed cases and people requiring quarantine, his office says.

Tel Aviv’s Metropolitan Hotel will house people who need to be in quarantine due to potential exposure to the virus; the Ye’arim Hotel outside of Jerusalem will cater specifically to the Haredi population, and the Seven Arches Hotel in Jerusalem will house confirmed coronavirus patients who have light symptoms, the Defense Ministry says.

The hotels will be operated by the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command.

According to the ministry, some 3,700 people are already housed in IDF-run coronavirus hotels.

Gantz’s office says the Defense Ministry is also working with a number of other government bodies to prepare 25,000 boxes of food for at-risk populations living in areas under lockdown.

— Judah Ari Gross