Corona epidemic: Thousands of Israelis living in the Far East are expected to enter the quarantine as soon as they return to Israel • The Ministry of Health intends to enforce the quarantine - but only eight inspectors are assigned the task and their powers are still unclear.

• In Israel // Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

• Health minister on central Sheba laboratory tour where corona virus tests are conducted // Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

Last week, the Ministry of Health ordered the extension of a 14-day mandatory home isolation order for returnees from Thailand, Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong. This is because of the spread of the Koran epidemic in China. The circle of people who need to stay in initiated isolation in their home is expanding to the thousands every day. So how will the ministry enforce the quarantine on those returning from the East?

The Ministry of Health also admits that they have no adequate legal and enforcement response and the Ministry has no effective way of enforcing the restrictions it has set itself. The Ministry of Health's Enforcement and Supervision Department has only eight inspectors who are routinely responsible for preventing trafficking in counterfeit drugs, and seizing explosives, rape drugs, fake alcohol as well as law enforcement to prevent smoking bans in public places.

Following the Corona virus: Ministry of Health has issued new guidelines for travelers to China // Credit: Ministry of Health

But at a time when the state is preparing for the arrival of Israelis who are traveling in the East and need to stay in solitary confinement, they are the ones who enforce the Public Health Ordinance and the strict isolation order, however the sanctions they can apply to anyone in public space instead of solitary confinement.

The information will be provided about people who violate isolation by public reports to the Health Ministry hotline 4500 *, which will be a hot line for public reporting. But they will not have the authority to do, for example, a sample check and make sure that people who have returned from abroad are actually staying at their home, but only on the basis of reports and "linguistics." Action powers that they have and the subject of enforcement are still under discussion at the Ministry of Health.

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The fact that there are only eight inspectors raises the question of how the Ministry of Health will be able to enforce comprehensive and optimal enforcement on thousands of Israelis who are expected to return from the targets set by Thailand. It is hard to believe that eight people will be able to take over and monitor such a number of people alone. As well as the fact that legally, the Ministry of Health is not yet sure what exactly the inspectors can do and how they can prevent the order being violated by the Israelis returning from the East.

"We will build an action plan and get the names of people who are supposed to be in solitary confinement and go out and enforce it and make sure they are in solitary confinement in their home. The information to us will come from reports received by the Ministry of Health. Whoever improved the quarantine would pass the law, the police may be involved. "

At the same time, following the recommendation of the Ministry of Health and Minister of Health Jacob Litzman, Minister of the Interior, Arie Deri, on Monday ordered to prevent entry of people who have stayed in Macau, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong for the past two weeks and who are not citizens or residents of Israel. This, in addition to preventing those coming from China. Their entry will be avoided through the land, air and maritime border crossings.

Deri, instructed the Director of the Population and Immigration Authority, Prof. Shlomo Moore Yosef, to be in continuous contact with the Director General of the Ministry of Health to find suitable solutions in accordance with the updated recommendations on the matter.