The Health Ministry announces that Israelis returning from four destinations in East Asia will now be required to self-quarantine for two weeks amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.
The destinations are Thailand, Singapore and the semi-autonomous Chinese cities of Hong Kong and Macau.
Previously only travelers coming from China were subject to such a self-quarantine.
“Starting today, whoever returned from these countries will be in isolation at home until 14 days from the date of return,” the ministry says in a statement.
The ministry adds that the new guidelines are meant “to prevent as much as possible [the virus’s] spread in Israel.”
Earlier today, the Health Ministry said that two Israeli passengers aboard a quarantined cruise ship off Japan tested positive for the virus, which has infected over 69,000 worldwide.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
