Binyamin Netanyahu at cabinet meeting January 5th, 2020
Binyamin Netanyahu at cabinet meeting January 5th, 2020REUTERS

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Monday night that it has been decided that all Israeli citizens returning from abroad must enter a 14-day isolation over fears of the Coronavirus. The new ruling applies no matter where in the world they return from.

"After a day of complex discussions, we made a decision: Everyone who comes to Israel from abroad will enter the 14-day isolation. This is a tough decision, but it is essential to maintain public health - and public health precedes everything,” Netanyahu said.

He stated that "this decision will be valid for two weeks, at the same time we are making decisions to maintain the Israeli economy."

The decision will apply immediately to all Israelis who returned from abroad. However, it will apply to foreigners who have arrived in Israel at any point over the last two weeks only after 72 hours from the announcement.

Earlier, it was reported that at a special meeting on the spread of the Coronavirus in Israel which the Prime Minister and the ministers held, the possibility of imposing a retroactive isolation obligation on any Israeli who returned from abroad in the past two weeks was discussed.

At the meeting, the question of the severe impact of such a step on the Israeli labor market and economy was raised.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri presented a statement that such a decision would lead to an additional 268,000 Israelis entering isolation, in addition to the 100,000 Israelis currently in isolation.

The final decision on the issue is in the hands of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The meeting also discussed ways not to prejudice the import of equipment, food and medicines, if the resident of all Israeli aviation is.