The Health Ministry indicated that the number of coronavirus cases in the Hebrew Gymnasium (Gymnasia Ha'ivrit), a high school in the Rechavia neighborhood of Jerusalem climbed to 160 today. 125 of those infected are students and 16 are parents, while 19 are staff members.
In light of the outbreak, the school's more than 1,000 students, the entire teaching staff and additional staff members have been asked to self-quarantine until June 9.
"One teacher knew he was sick and came to teach the class. Life took a turn for the worse," Yarin Ohayun, a student who contracted the virus, told Kan 11 News. "The school administration didn't inform us—we found out only when the news was leaked by the Ministry of Health."
In addition to the hgh school, additional infections have been identified in the capital. A student at the Zalman Aran Elementary School in the Talpiot neighborhood was found to be carrying the virus and an entire class at modern religious Hartman High School in the German Colony was asked to self-quarantine after one of its students was discovered to be the blood relative of someone studying attending the Hebrew Gymnasium.
A teacher in the Jerusalem High School for the Arts was also confirmed to be carrying the disease.
The Jerusalem Municipality released a report stating that it was "continuing to follow the instructions of the Ministry of Health." It said the school's administration was maintaining continuous contact with its educational staff and representatives of the parents' council, closely monitoring the latest developments in the unfolding situation." The municipality further stated that the only school to face isolation orders was the Gymnasia Ha'ivrit and that students in Jerusalem were still allowed to attend long distance learning from home.
Earlier in the day, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman informed Prime Minister Netanyahu and relevant Knesset ministers that the Comptroller's Office was launching a comprehensive assessment of the ongoing crisis. The team has been gathering virus-related data, studying relevant issues, and holding meetings with relevant government professionals.
The Comptroller's Office said it had also deliberated on various CV-19 findings within the international community including Europe and the US.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, the State Comptroller announced it would examine collaboration between the state's emergency agencies, with a focus on the work of the National Security Agency vis-à-vis various government crisis management organizations.
Additional areas of interest will include global response to crisis management, crisis preparedness, treatment of the older population, research and testing, remote learning and teaching, management of local authorities, as well as financial crisis management.
In addition to carrying out an examination of the Prime Minister's Office, the audit will also examine the Ministry of Defense and the IDF as well as Home Front Command, Ministry of Health, healthcare system, Ministry of Finance, Bank of Israel, Ministry of Internal Affairs, a number of local authorities, Ministry of Social Affairs, social security office, and others. Meetings with Coronavirus Cabinet members are also expected.