IDF tightens restrictions to curb virus outbreak among soldiers

The Israel Defense Forces rolls out new restrictions on soldiers in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus in its ranks, including barring troops from taking part in gatherings of more than five people while on leave, IDF Spokesperson Hidai Zilberman says.

The military is also considering confining to their units combat soldiers and other troops who serve on closed bases. These service members are already required to remain on their bases through the end of next week, so the IDF top brass will wait until Monday to make a decision on the matter, Zilberman tells reporters.

Currently, 673 conscripted soldiers, officers, non-commissioned officers and civilian employees of the IDF are sick with COVID-19 — all of them with light symptoms — while roughly 11,500 troops are in quarantine after coming into contact with a confirmed carrier of the coronavirus, according to the military.

In light of the growing number of cases within the military, the IDF has reopened one coronavirus hotel in Ashkelon — where up to 500 soldiers with light symptoms can recover — with plans to open two more locations to bring the military’s total capacity of beds up to nearly 1,200, Zilberman says.

Soldiers who are currently recovering from the disease at home are able to request to be transported to the military’s coronavirus hotels through a smartphone application, and they will be taken in specially-designed vehicles with a hermetically sealed compartment to prevent the driver from contracting the virus, the spokesman says.

— Judah Ari Gross