Benjamin Netanyahu is once again in isolation after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive for Covid-19, the Israeli PM’s office announced on Monday.
Netanyahu will be isolating until Friday after contact with Likud Supreme Court President Michael Kleiner last week. Kleiner tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.
The prime minister returned two negative tests on Sunday and Monday, but in accordance with the guidance on the coronavirus, must isolate until Friday.
A spokeswoman announced that Netanyahu had canceled his engagements for Monday, including an appearance at a conference in Jerusalem, and underwent an epidemiological investigation.
This is the third time that the prime minister has self-isolated due to Covid-19 but has so far not contracted the virus. It is unlikely that he will miss any cabinet briefings due to his isolation, as they have been taking place via videoconferencing in recent months.
Israel has seen a sharp increase in Covid infections in December, after the country overcame the worst of the virus in September and October. On Monday, authorities registered 1,117 new infections and 4 new deaths.
Netanyahu has been optimistic about the power of vaccinations in tackling the pandemic, with the first Israeli inoculations using the Pfizer jab due to start on Sunday. “We are beginning the end of the pandemic,” he noted.
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