Knesset Director-General Albert Sakharovich held a status assessment Thursday on restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of the Coronavirus and their implications for Knesset activity.
The 23rd Knesset will convene in the middle of March following this week's elections. The Knesset's inauguration ceremony will be held on March 16.
At the opening of the meeting, the Knesset Director-General said that the goal was clear and issued instructions to take all possible steps and measures to reduce the threat of harm to the Knesset's core parliamentary activities. Therefore, everything which poses a risk of spreading the Coronavirus and is not an essential activity for the Knesset to function will be banned.
Sakharovich added: "The Knesset has established a professional team on its behalf, headed by Knesset Officer Joseph Grif, who is in continuous contact with health professionals in the Ministry of Health and advises us." According to him, "Knesset professionals will continue to converge from time to time, and as it becomes clear that an even more stringent approach must be taken, we will not hesitate to do so."
During the debate today, it was decided that the inaugural event of the 23rd Knesset will be held for the first time without a crowd in the stands.
With the exception of the MKs' spouses, the invitations of former MKs, diplomats, and the general public to attend the inauguration ceremony have been cancelled.
In addition, the festive reception was canceled for Knesset members and their families, which was planned at the Kedma complex. The format of the traditional toast at Chagall Hall has been changed. The gathering of hundreds of people who were supposed to be present at the event - which usually locks up the festive day events - was canceled; Speeches by party leaders were canceled. The party leaders will be invited to the traditional photo shoot.
This Sunday, all tours and visits by outside parties in the Knesset, including schools, tourists, organized groups and more, will be canceled.
Any non-permanent visitor will be required to sign a declaration of entry, which will be approved by the Knesset officer. In this statement, the visitor will affirm that they have not been abroad in the previous 14 days.
It was also decided that no gatherings, events and caucus meetings would be allowed, and the Passover toast Knesset employees was canceled.
It was decided to allow all political parties to be invited to committees as part of their parliamentary activities. The activity of the visitor center, including the activities of the Knesset guides, will continue as usual.
Dedicated disinfection posts will be placed in key places in the Knesset and its entry. All the directives issued by the Civil Service Commission towards its employees were also adopted for Knesset employees.