Israel

Israel’s border police chief tests positive for COVID-19

The health condition of Yaakov Shabtai is good, the police statement said, adding an epidemiologic investigation is being conducted to find out the contacts with him for home quarantine.

On Thursday, Shabtai was seen standing alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and the army chief of staff Aviv Kochavi in a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem for soldiers killed during Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip in 2014.

However, it has not yet been decided whether the three will have to enter home quarantine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also scheduled to attend the ceremony, did not turn up because of a discussion at the coronavirus cabinet and sent a recorded speech.

The Israeli media estimated that at least dozens of police officers would be required to enter quarantine for being near Shabtai in recent days.

The Israel Border Police (Magav), a unit within the Israeli police, patrols sensitive locations and the seam line between Israel and the West Bank, conducts anti-terror operations, and deals with public disturbances. Enditem