After PM Netanyahu, Israel's army chief goes into quarantine

Jerusalem: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Aviv Kochavi, along with two of his senior commanders, went into isolation on Tuesday after a senior commander they came in contact with recently was tested positive for coronavirus, the army said.

The development came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his close advisers were placed under quarantine after an aide on Parliament affairs tested positive for coronavirus.

Lt Gen Kochavi, along with Home Front Command head Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai and Operations Directorate Commander Gen. Aharon Haliva, had attended a meeting 10 days ago in which a commander in the reserves, who later tested positive for the coronavirus, participated.

The commander who tested positive, as per local media reports, is the head of the Home Front Command’s liaison unit to local authorities in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox Tel Aviv suburb where 508 residents had tested positive for the virus till Monday.

The number of people infected by the deadly virus doubled in the ultra-Orthodox community within four days.

A statement from the army said that “Kochavi feels well, is not displaying symptoms, and will soon be tested for the virus”.

Israel is under total lockdown with people not allowed to even walk beyond 100 metres from their homes and have been generally advised to go out only to stock up food.

So far, 4,831 Israelis have tested positive for the coronavirus, with the vast majority of cases mild and 161 recoveries. Eighteen patients have died and 83 are in serious condition. One Israeli tourist died in Italy.