Coronavirus confirmed in Israeli who returned from Italy, traveled El Al

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri expressed his intention to sign an official document on Thursday, barring Italian travelers from entering Israel.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Central Elections Committee director-general Orly Ades displays a special voting kit for Israelis quarantined due to possible exposure to the Coronavirus (photo credit: CENTRAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE)
Central Elections Committee director-general Orly Ades displays a special voting kit for Israelis quarantined due to possible exposure to the Coronavirus
(photo credit: CENTRAL ELECTIONS COMMITTEE)
An Israeli who came back from Italy on Sunday was diagnosed on Thursday with coronavirus, the Health Ministry announced.
The person will be kept under quarantine at the Sheba Medical Center. He reportedly complained of high fever and everyone who came in contact with the person has been contacted and placed under quarantine at home.
He had traveled on El Al flight no. 382 from Italy to Israel that arrived in the country on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. 
This is the first case of an Israeli with coronavirus from Italy. The only other cases of Israelis who contracted the virus have been the Israelis who were aboard the "Diamond Princess" cruise ship off the coasts of Japan.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri expressed his intention to sign an official document on Thursday, barring Italian travelers from entering Israel for fear of a coronavirus infection.
Later on Thursday, several foreigners coming from Italy were already denied entry. 25 travelers (19 of whom are Italians) remained on a plane coming from Bergamo, Italy and were refused entry to Israel.
The Population and Immigration Authority reported that the Bergamo plane landed at 12:55 p.m. on Thursday and that Israeli passengers got off the plane and have received instructions from the Ministry of Health.
 
The aircraft is expected to take off back to Bergamo soon, carrying the 25 passengers, in addition to 119 other passengers departing from Israel, most of them Italian.
In addition, the entry of 23 passengers who landed at Ben-Gurion Airport on a flight from Venice and Milan on an easyJet flight was also refused. The passengers of that flight are scheduled to fly back soon as well.
On Wednesday, the Health Ministry instructed that all Israelis who come back from Italy are also to be quarantined in their own homes for 14 days.
Also on Thursday, Italy reported another 100 cases nationwide, taking the total in Europe's biggest hot spot to more than 400, while its death toll rose to 12.