Israel’s parliament suspended sessions scheduled for yesterday after a lawmaker tested positive for COVID-19, while some schools shut down anew amid worries about fresh outbreaks.
Having moved aggressively against the global pandemic in March and seen a tailing-off of new cases, Israel has eased curbs in recent weeks.
However, officials warn that public complacency could lead to a resurgence in cases.
The 120-seat Knesset said that nonessential staff have been asked to stay home and all of yesterday’s committee meetings were postponed “pending an investigation of the ramifications” of lawmaker Sami Abou Shahadeh having contracted the novel coronavirus.
“I appeal to all of those who have been in my immediate vicinity to self-isolate and get tested,” Abou Shahadeh wrote on Twitter. “The virus is still among us and a return to so-called routine helps the virus spread with greater magnitude and speed.”
Israeli schools reopened last month, but worries have grown that some children are infecting others, despite a slew of precautionary measures.
Israeli media yesterday reported that as many as 42 schools had closed over fresh outbreaks.
The Israeli Ministry of Education did not immediately confirm the figure.
“Any educational institution in which there is morbidity will be shut,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that school staff would continue seeking ways to protect and distance students from one another.
Israel, which has a population of 9 million, has reported 17,429 cases and 291 deaths.
More than 593,000 people in the country have been tested for the virus, the health ministry said.
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