Health Ministry says Delta variant suspected in COVID outbreak at school

The Health Ministry issues a statement on a coronavirus outbreak at a school in northern Israel that local authorities said appeared to have been caused by people who recently returned from abroad.

“The source of the outbreak is still being examined, but there is a connection to a family that returned from overseas,” the statement says, adding that there is a concern the infections were caused by the Delta variant first identified in Israel.

The ministry also says 45 people at the school were infected, up one from the figure reported earlier by the town of Binyamina-Giv’at Ada’s local council.

It adds: “The Health Ministry calls on all residents of Binyamina to get tested to protect public health and to prevent the further spread of the virus in the community.”

The statement comes as Channel 12 news reports that the Health Ministry is seeking to reintroduce the use of electronic bracelets to monitor arriving travelers to ensure they don’t break quarantine.

The network says the Health Ministry wants quarantine restrictions on any traveler older than 14 who isn’t vaccinated, and on anyone — include those vaccinated or who recovered from COVID-19 — coming from a “high risk” country.

The Health Ministry is also predicting 30 percent of people expected to visit in Israel in July and August won’t be vaccinated, the report adds.

“The Health Ministry calls on those required to quarantine to adhere to quarantine [rules]… in particular among those returning from abroad,” the ministry statement says.