Government said split on quarantine for all arrivals; PM set to decide

The government is reported to be split on whether Israel should force all arrivals from abroad to self-quarantine, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to rule on the matter tonight.

The Health Ministry, led by Minister Yaakov Litzman, is insisting that the move is necessary to contain the disease, according to Hebrew media reports. Interior Minister Arye Deri and Economy Minister Eli Cohen have warned of far-reaching consequences for the economy.

During a cabinet session, Deri noted that an instruction to any Israeli who returned from abroad over the past 14 days to enter home quarantine will affect an additional 268,000 people beyond the tens of thousands who are already isolated in their homes.

Cohen said such a move would be “an economic disaster.”