El Al airplane
El Al airplaneFlash 90

A passenger on El Al flight LY014 arriving from New York on Tuesday morning was diagnosed with coronavirus upon arrival in Israel, Israel Hayom reported.

All of the passengers who were on the plane are required to self-isolate.

The flight, which was carrying new immigrants to Israel, was one of the few El Al operated in recent months. According to reports, the flight was packed with passengers, some sitting next to each other for the entire time.

The patient, who had previously been ill with the virus, had undergone a coronavirus test prior to boarding the plane, and received the go-ahead to board the flight. One of the organizations responsible for the immigration process said the woman submitted a document testifying that she had antibodies.

Several hours after her arrival in Israel, the woman received a notification that she still carried the virus.

It is not yet clear how the infection was overlooked or how she succeeded in boarding the flight prior to receiving her test results, since both Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Jewish Agency for Israel knew that the woman had previously contracted coronavirus.

Nefesh B'Nefesh told Israel Hayom: "Today an El Al flight arrived from New York, with 51 new immigrants from the US. As required by Health Ministry protocols, all of the immigrants on the flight were sent to quarantine for 14 days. During the evening hours, a passenger on the flight reported that when she arrived at her new home in Israel, she received an email from the US lab stating that she had tested positive for coronavirus, and she immediately informed the organization. It is worth noting that the passenger has not exhibited any symptoms and feels great."

"Prior to boarding the flight, the immigrant signed a health declaration as required, and in accordance with the Israeli authorities' requirements, and she also presented a document proving that she had antibodies. Throughout the entire flight, the new immigrant wore a mask, and maintained proper hygiene."

"When we were notified of the case, information was immediately sent to the Health Ministry and other relevant bodies, who were provided with details of the incident. At the same time, we emphasized to the other immigrants onboard the flight their obligation to remain in quarantine for two weeks, which they will adhere to."

"It is important to note that this is the [first] case in which a new immigrant was diagnosed [with coronavirus] since the pandemic broke out around the world, and the immigration protocols are extremely strict and were made together with the Health Ministry and relevant bodies in Israel."