Israeli Shmuel Sifri dies of coronavirus in Italy

The man was traveling on a cruise ship near Turin in northwest Italy with his wife when he was diagnosed with the novel virus.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Medical workers in protective suits treat patients suffering with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy (photo credit: GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE / REUTERS)
Medical workers in protective suits treat patients suffering with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Rome, Italy
(photo credit: GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE / REUTERS)
An 82-year-old Israeli from Haifa, Shmuel Sifri, who was vacationing in Italy has died of coronavirus, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The man was traveling on a cruise ship near Turin in northwest Italy with his wife when he was diagnosed with the novel virus. He was hospitalized in the area and passed away overnight Thursday. His wife is in isolation at a military facility in the area.
Israeli consul in Rome Eitan Avraham is assisting the family following the man's death.
This traveler is the first reported Israeli to die from the virus abroad. So far, 12 Israelis have died in the country and more than 3,600 people are infected. 
According to the Hebrew website Ynet, Sifri left on the Italian cruise on February 20. The cruise docked at the Port of Savona about a week ago. 
In Italy, the number of coronavirus patients is among the highest in the world: More than 10,000 people have died since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the country's Civil Protection Agency.