The husband of adviser to the Israeli prime minister, Rivka Paluch, has tested positive for the COVID-19 infection as it continues to spread across the country, according to the media outlet Walla. Paluch, who not long ago met the ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet, was also tested in light of the news, but her results will only be available later in the day.
It so far remains unclear if Paluch also came into contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently.
Some 3,865 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Israel. Sixty-six of them remain in serious condition, according to the country's Health Ministry with 54 requiring a ventilator to breathe. Some 82 more individuals are in moderate condition, while the remainder only developed mild symptoms of the disease. There has been a total of 425 fatalities from COVID-19 in Israel since the pandemic broke out.
The Israeli government took steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, restricting citizens movements to buying food and medicine since 25 March and ordering them to stay home otherwise. A violation of these quarantine measures is punishable by a $140 fine or even imprisonment as the virus poses a grave danger to the elderly and those with chronic conditions. At least 13 people aged over 70 have died from COVID-19 in the country.