Netanyahu goes into quarantine after aide falls ill from corona

Prime Minister Netanyahu entered quarantine until the end of a study. He is also being retested.

By World Israel News Staff

Will Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu go into quarantine? That was the question on the media’s lips on Monday morning when it became known that a close personal aide to the prime minister had come down with the coronavirus.

They received the answer on Monday afternoon when the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Netanyahu will go into quarantine until the end of an epidemiological study which is expected to show that he wasn’t exposed to the coronavirus.

Earlier contradictory reports said he would not go into quarantine because the aide, Rivka Paluch, was in his presence for less than 15 minutes. Later reports on Monday said the prime minister would go into quarantine for a full week.

His office vigorously denied the latter report.

Netanyahu will be tested on Monday for the virus. He has been tested several times before.

His office says he has been following the health guidelines and is doing most of his work from home or via videoconference.

The Health Ministry has issued strict guidelines for citizens coming into contact with known coronavirus carriers. It even released an app so that people could be notified when they crossed paths with a carrier and put themselves into self-isolation.

Paluch, who is Netanyahu’s adviser on ultra-Orthodox affairs, has been hospitalized after testing positive. She is said to have only mild symptoms. Her husband also tested positive.