Are Israelis returning from Asian countries going into quarantine?
Israelis who landed need to go home and stay under quarantine. But for most, it means using public transportation to get there.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFTRAVELLERS, WEARING masks as a precautionary measure to avoid contracting coronavirus, are seen at Guarulhos International Airport in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo state, Brazil. (photo credit: REUTERS)
The Health Ministry instructed on Sunday that all those coming from China, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan are obligated to quarantine themselves at home. The problem is that to get there, some have to use public transportation, Israeli media reported on Monday.Since the ministry published its announcement, travelers landing at Ben-Gurion Airport receive an SMS message instructing those with fever, cough or any other symptom to immediately approach the MDA station at the airport.For those with no symptoms, there was no instruction. Those who heard about the announcement made by the ministry received no instruction other than to go home and stay under quarantine for 14 days. The Health Ministry responded to Channel 13's inquiry, saying that, "the notice came out yesterday; the message needs to be changed. We told the cellular companies to change the text."So far, those who landed need to go home and stay under quarantine. But for most, it means using public transportation to get there. Other than giving the instruction, no one is enforcing the directive."I am boarding a train with a thousand people now," Haim Tahor, an Israeli returning from Thailand told Ynet. "If I'm infected, I will be infecting all of them. This is a catastrophe: They give instructions and don't do anything besides."Most of those returning to Israel willingly put themselves under quarantine for fear of infecting people, but not everyone does. "There is hysteria everywhere here and I do not understand what we're supposed to do," Tahor explained."We landed here and nobody gave us any explanation on what to do. My kids left the house for fear of getting infected, but there were children on the plane and they will go to school. And if I sit at home, how will I get groceries? How will I eat? I'm not supposed to go outside? I don't understand this!" Tahor exclaimed.A passenger who came back from China also told Ynet that he has to take the train home because there is no other way for him to get there. What was even more surprising was the fact that nobody checked him upon arrival. "When I landed in Israel, nobody checked me; nobody took my [temperature] or anything."
