Aviv Kochavi
Aviv KochaviIDF Spokesperson

IDF Chief of Staff General Aviv Kochavi's trip to the United States, scheduled to take place next week, will be postponed to another date, due to concern about the Coronavirus.

In the meantime, Civil Service Commissioner Daniel Hershkowitz instructed all government ministries to prohibit all civil servants from flying abroad as part of work travel, including travel that has already been approved.

The commissioner also urged civil servants to also avoid private travel.

The death toll from the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Italy jumped by 28 people 107 people over the last 24 hours. The number of infections in the country has risen to 3,090. So far, 276 people have recovered from the disease.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived at the Health Ministry Wednesday afternoon to announce additional restrictions on tens of thousands of Israelis who have returned in the past two weeks or will now return from European countries.

The Health Ministry issued the following guidelines for Israelis in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

1. Israelis returning from France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Austria will be charged with home isolation for 14 days, the decision being retroactive from the date of departure.

2. Foreigners from these countries will not be able to enter Israel, but will exhibit a proven ability to isolate a home. Implementation of this decision will take effect in the coming days.

3. Prohibition on holding international conferences in Israel.

4. Residents of Israel returning from international conferences abroad - will have to enter home isolation for 14 days.

5. Health care workers face a blanket ban on going abroad.

6. Mass gatherings and conferences of 5,000 or more people are prohibited.

7. Participation in gatherings of over 100 persons is prohibited for persons returning from any destination abroad in the last 14 days.

8. The Civil Service Commissioner to prohibit workers at Israeli ports from traveling abroad.

9. Recommendation for those aged 60 and over and those with chronic background illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disease or immunosuppression, to avoid crowds and contact with people returning from any destination abroad or with symptoms or people suspected of being blue.

10. Tourists staying in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon (in the last 14 days) will not be allowed to enter the country.

11. The Health Ministry recommends strict hygiene and avoiding handshakes.