Multiple schools have been closed in Israel and thousands of students sent into quarantine after multiple students and staff members at schools in Jerusalem, Beersheva and Hadera tested positive for coronavirus.
In Hadera, a high school student’s diagnosis sent 2,180 students and teachers into two weeks of isolation, and led to the temporary closure of the school.
More than 130 students and staff members at Jerusalem’s Gymnasia Rehavia high school were diagnosed with coronavirus last week, leading the school to be closed. Subsequent testing of students at the Gymnasium’s feeder school—the Paula Ben-Gurion-Rehavia elementary school—revealed that one student had the virus.
Additional confirmed cases include a Jerusalem dance teacher whose students were sent into isolation, as well as hundreds of staff and students at several schools in Beersheva.
As of Monday morning, 35 new cases had been diagnosed since Sunday evening.
Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced on Sunday that virus testing would be expanded to those not showing symptoms, and warned Israelis to remain diligent in maintaining social distancing and hygiene standards.
Additionally, Edelstein announced that anyone in the vicinity of an infected person in schools, assisted-living facilities, nursing homes and welfare residential facilities would also be tested.
Whereas drive-through testing stations had been shut down due to significantly decreased numbers of coronavirus cases in recent weeks, four were reopened Saturday in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheva and Haifa.