At least a thousand IDF soldiers quarantined over coronavirus

The overall number of confirmed carriers in Israel stands at 21 as of Friday night, at least one of them being an IDF soldier.

By LEON SVERDLOV, HAGAY HACOHEN
ELECTION MONITORS wearing protective gear count Monday’s election votes cast by Israelis in home quarantine over coronavirus concerns. (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
ELECTION MONITORS wearing protective gear count Monday’s election votes cast by Israelis in home quarantine over coronavirus concerns.
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS)
Some 1,262 soldiers are currently in 14-day home quarantine over suspicions of having contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reported on Friday.
Some 189 soldiers returned to their units having completed the mandatory two weeks of self-isolation.
According to the report, most of the IDF soldiers currently under quarantine returned from vacation overseas, while some were in the country and came into contact with confirmed carriers of the virus.
As the virus spreads, the IDF has banned all troops from leaving the country. All military drills and exercises involving foreign armies have been canceled as well.
The number of people in quarantine, according to Channel 12, has reached at least 80,000, as the Health Ministry put additional European states on its watch list, ordering all Israelis who return from said states to remain in self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.