JERUSALEM, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government has decided to place anyone arriving from overseas into quarantine in a move to contain a growing coronavirus outbreak.
Netanyahu announced the 14-day quarantine on Monday after consultations with Cabinet ministers and senior health officials.
“This is a difficult decision, but it's necessary to protect public health. Public health comes before everything else,” Netanyahu said.
The Jerusalem Post reports that the measure takes effect immediately. Netanyahu said the “decision will be valid for two weeks.”
The decision comes weeks before the busy Passover and Easter holiday seasons.
As of Monday, 39 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the country, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins.