Netanyahu: No Need to Postpone Election Over Coronavirus

Amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the government to open a national situation room. The forum will convene daily and will be headed by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat.

The Health Ministry has called on all Israelis returning from Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Japan to remain in isolation at home and to report to the ministry.

A second case of coronavirus was diagnosed in Israel when an additional passenger who returned from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which was quarantined off the coast of Japan, tested positive for the virus

Hundreds of Israelis have been placed in quarantine after coming in contact with Korean tourist group that included people diagnosed with coronavirus.

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– Haaretz Weekly Ep. 64

Bernie, Bibi and the brutal occupation: Listen to Gideon LevyHaaretz Weekly Ep. 64

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12:51 P.M. Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Afghanistan announce first coronavirus cases, all linked to Iran

Local health officials in the Iraqi holy Shi'ite city of Najaf have detected the first case of coronavirus in the country, an Iranian theology student, Iraq's health ministry said on Monday.

Bahrain also reported that a citizen of their country had tested positive to the virus after returning from Iran, while three people had been diagnosed in Kuwait, one of them a Saudi national.

Meanwhile, the Afghan health ministry has declared a state of emergency in the province of Herat, which neighbors Iran. Three suspected patients had recently returned from Iran. The confirmed case was a 35-year-old who had recently returned from the city of Qom.

11:04 A.M. Iranian MP says coronavirus death toll rises to 50 in Iranian city of Qom, government denies

Iran's semiofficial ILNA news agency is reporting that the death toll from the new coronavirus in the city of Qom is 50, quoting a local lawmaker, Ahmad Amiriabadi Farahani.