400,000 Israelis say they’ll skip vote due to coronavirus

As the fear of the coronavirus spreads, Israel’s Central Elections Committee is considering setting up special voting stations for citizens exposed to the virus.

By Aaron Sull, World Israel News

According to a recent survey, approximately 400,000 Israelis say they’ll skip going to the polls for the March 2 elections due to fears concerning the coronavirus.

Rimon-Cohen, a public relations and strategic advisory firm asked survey participants, “Are you considering or not considering giving up your right to vote and not reaching the ballot box on Election Day due to concerns about the coronavirus?”

Nearly 400,000 participants answered “yes.”

As the fear of the coronavirus spreads, Israel’s Central Elections Committee is considering setting up special voting stations for citizens exposed to the virus, reported Bloomberg on Sunday.

“There may be all kinds of elements, including foreign, that may try to interfere in the elections in this way and we have a great interest in stopping this,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday during a meeting with government representatives to discuss the impending threat.

Israel is taking strong precautions to prevent the disease from spreading even though no confirmed cases have been reported yet other than the two of the 11 quarantined in Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv after returning home from Japan’s Diamond Princess cruise liner last week.

Netanyahu also said that he plans to appoint a ministerial team to convene on a daily basis to help battle the spread of the deadly virus.

“I have said that over-preparation is preferable to under-preparation. Until now, Israel has been stricter than any other country and we will continue to do whatever is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus in Israel,” Netanyahu said at the Health Ministry emergency situation room on Sunday.

It was also decided during the meeting to identify all persons suspected of having been in contact with those carrying the virus and voluntarily isolate them or return them to their countries.

Meanwhile, nearly 200 Israelis were asked this week by the Health Ministry to quarantine themselves at home after coming in contact with a group of South Korean tourists who tested positive for the virus.

According to the parameters set up by the Health Ministry, “contact” is defined as having been within two meters of an infected person for at least 15 minutes.