Netanyahu under quarantine as aide tests positive for coronavirus

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his close aides have been placed under quarantine after a staff member within his office tested positive for the coronavirus.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the decision was precautionary and that he had not been in recent proximity with the staffer, identified by the parliament as Rivka Paluch, Netanyahu’s parliamentary aide.
“The preliminary assessment is that there is no need for the prime minister to be quarantined, as he did not come into close contact with the individual and did not personally meet with that person. Over the past two weeks, the two were never in the same room at the same time”, the statement said, adding that Netanyahu and his close staff would be in confinement until tests were completed.
Last week, opposition leader Benny Gantz has been elected as speaker of the parliament and has committed to backing an emergency unity government with Netanyahu, to tackle the virus crisis.
Local media reported that if Netanyahu tests positive, then he and his entire staff would have to be quarantined, as well as Gantz, who spent eight hours with him on Saturday, negotiating the terms of the unity government.