American woman diagnosed with coronavirus after Israel visit

The ministry is asking anyone who was in the locations she visited while she was there to start a 14-day period of home isolation.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Fans use hand sanitizer as they enter Staples Center in California amid the coronavirus outbreak (photo credit: JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA-USA TODAY SPORTS/REUTERS)
Fans use hand sanitizer as they enter Staples Center in California amid the coronavirus outbreak
(photo credit: JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA-USA TODAY SPORTS/REUTERS)
An American woman from New York City who visited Israel from February 23-27 was diagnosed with the coronavirus Wednesday night, the Health Ministry reported. She stayed in Jerusalem.
Anyone who was in the locations she visited when she was here should start a 14-day period of home isolation, the ministry said.
The woman went to the Osher Ad grocery store on General Pierre Koenig Street in Talpiot, ate at the First Station and shopped at Hadar Mall, among other places. She also traveled on local buses.
She left Israel Friday, February 28, on El Al flight LY27 at 1:05 a.m. and landed in New York the same day at 6 a.m.
Here is the full list of her travels:
Saturday, February 22: 5:10 p.m. – Arrived in Israel on flight LY8 from New York
Sunday, February 23: 9:30-11:30 p.m. – dinner at Cafe Rimon in Mamilla; shopping at the clothing store ZARA
Monday, February 24: 1:00-3:00 p.m. – lunch at Cafe Rimon in the City Center; bus ride on Egged bus No. 74 from King George Street to Derech Hebron; 5:00-7:00 p.m. – shopped at Osher Ad in Talpiot’s Hadar Mall
Tuesday, February 25: 2:00-3:00 p.m. – spent time at First Station and ate at the restaurant The Kitchen Station
Wednesday, February 26: 9:00-10:00 a.m. – visited Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot; 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. – shopped in Hadar Mall (FOX Home, Osher Ad and Tzomet Sefarim)
Thursday, February 27: 10:00 a.m. – traveled on Egged bus No. 74 from Derech Hebron to Talpiot; 11:00 a.m.-1 p.m. – ate at Caffit on Emek Refaim; 7:30 p.m. – traveled on Egged bus No. 74 from Derech Hebron to the Central Bus Station; 8:30 p.m. – traveled on the train from Jerusalem to Ben-Gurion Airport
Friday, February 28: 1:05 a.m. – Left Israel on flight LY27
The woman, who is in her 50s, is a “close contact” of one of the people in New York City who was also diagnosed with the coronavirus, the ministry said. He was admitted to the hospital earlier this week; his son also has contracted the virus, it was reported Wednesday.
The woman has no symptoms, the ministry said.
On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that there are 11 cases of coronavirus in New York, apparently all in the Jewish community. Five of those cases are from one family from New Rochelle: a 46-year-old woman, her 45-year-old husband and three of their children who attend Westchester Torah Academy.
A 50-year-old Orthodox Jewish attorney was hospitalized earlier this week and is in critical condition after testing positive for COVID-19. His son, a student at Yeshiva University, also tested positive for the virus. The man’s wife, daughter and neighbor also tested positive, Cuomo said.
Westchester Torah Academy, three other Jewish day schools and Yeshiva University have temporarily discontinued classes. Two university students and some 600 congregants of an Orthodox synagogue went into home quarantine as a result of the virus, it was reported.
However, “some good news,” YU president Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman tweeted Thursday morning. “Two tests of students who were considered at risk due to proximity, including roommate, came back negative. Chasdei Hashem.”
In Israel, 15 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and between 50,000 and 100,000 are in home quarantine.
JTA contributed to this report.