Orit Farkash Hacohen
Orit Farkash HacohenYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Orit Farkash Hacohen on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19.

In accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, the Minister has been in isolation as of Saturday night, and as such she was not present at Sunday’s cabinet meeting.

Farkash Hacohen is feeling well and is managing her ministry’s affairs remotely.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday called the chairman of the Otzma Yehudit party, MK Itamar Ben Gvir, who is hospitalized with COVID-19, and wished him a complete recovery.

A statement said "the conversation between the two was cordial, MK Ben Gvir told Prime Minister Bennett about the dedication of the medical staff including the nurses, doctors and physicians in the COVID-19 wards and at the same time asked that additional manpower be approved in order to alleviate the heavy workload in the wards. Prime Minister Bennett replied that he is working on this and ordered that 2.5 billion shekels in funding be added to the health system."

At the end of the conversation, MK Ben Gvir thanked the Prime Minister and said, "I thank Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for the call and for his interest in my well-being. It does not go without saying that, while he carries the heavy burden of the state on his shoulders, he calls to express interest in my medical condition."

Opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke with Ben Gvir from his vacation abroad and wished him a speedy recovery. MK Ben Gvir thanked him for his sincere concern and said, "It does not go without saying that while Netanyahu is on vacation with his family, he calls to express interest in my medical condition."

Ben Gvir, who has been hospitalized at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem since the weekend following a worsening of the COVID-19 symptoms he experienced, said that he is feeling well, is fully conscious and is being supervised by the medical staff.