Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, rabbi of the Efrat Regional Council, sent a letter to residents in which he said that those over age 70 should not attend synagogue or pray with a minyan (halakhic prayer quorum of 10 men which is needed for certan prayers and Torah reading).
"I have been in quarantine for some time, and even though it is scheduled to end on Monday, I plan to extend it for the sake of the public," Rabbi Riskin wrote.
"Anyone aged 70 or older must not pray with a minyan. Avoid Shabbat chatan (the Sabbath before a wedding) celebrations, even if they are held in a private home."
In a letter sent to residents via email and hung in synagogues around the Efrat region, Rabbi Riskin, who has been in quarantine for a week and a half, asked the public to follow the Health Ministry and Prime Minister's guidelines, and to take even more precautions than required.
Setting a personal example by extending his own quarantine, he added, "Who knows who else I came in contact with?"