Coronavirus tests and protective gear arrive in Israel before Passover

Israel received reagents for tens of thousands of coronavirus tests and 30,000 protective suits for medical staff from South Korea just before the Seder on Wednesday afternoon.

An El Al flight that left the day before for Seoul’s Incheon Aiport delivered the goods to Ben-Gurion Airport. The purchase was made through an arrangement between the Defense, Health and Foreign ministries and the Israeli Embassy in Seoul.

“I thank the Defense Ministry and El Al, who we sent to the end of the world in order to bring life-saving equipment here,” said Defense Minister Naftali Bennett. “We continue to act in full force, and in all possible ways, both with local production and in the international arena.”

Similarly, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said his ministry is “mobilized to fight corona” and helped allow for the delivery of this equipment so the country can “effectively deal with the epidemic.”

The Health Ministry said last Friday that it was low on reagents, the chemical compound used to extract the virus’s DNA from the samples and thus identify if a person being tested is positive. Since then, it has reduced the number of tests it takes per day. Although the ministry reported that it tested 7,250 people on Monday, according to the National Security Council, only 1,600 people were screened on Tuesday.

But Health Ministry director-general Moshe Bar Siman Tov sent out a note on Wednesday informing the public that the Health Ministry plans to increase testing again during the Passover holiday and that, through collaboration, “the problem of the shortage that was emerging” had been solved. He said in some instances that new equipment was being used and therefore the ministry was also providing training for laboratory staff.

In addition, the Health and Defense ministries signed an agreement with BGI, a Chinese genome sequencing company, to provide equipment and materials that will allow for around 10,000 coronavirus tests a day, according to a release sent Tuesday by the Health Ministry. The equipment will be placed in six Health Fund labs within the next two to three weeks. The total cost of the procurement was NIS 90 million.

“We are glad for the cooperation with the Health Ministry and the trust they’ve placed in us to carry out this important national mission,” said Snir Zano, the CEO of AID GENOMICS, BGI’s partner in Israel.

Bar Siman Tov said he plans to expand screenings specifically in nursing homes so that when one resident or staff member falls ill with coronavirus, all the residents and staff will be tested.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bennett have said their goal is to test as many as 30,000 people per day so that Israel can better understand how the virus has spread across the country. So far, according to Bar Siman Tov, the country should be up to 10,000 tests per day this week.

At the same time, the Indian government loosened its restriction on the export of hydroxychloroquine, an orally-administered drug used to treat malaria that has been touted as a helpful treatment for COVID-19, and has begun exporting it to Israel.

"India has lifted restrictions on the export of hydroxychloroquine," India's Embassy in Israel said in statement. "India has exported hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine phosphate medicines to Israel in its resolve to do everything possible to help humanity’s fight against COVID-19. India remains Israel’s strategic partner."