Will the Corona influence the election? Fear that thousands of Israelis will not be able to vote

The Ministry of Health will hold a hearing with the Central Election Commission to decide how to allow the voting rights of Israelis to return from the East and be required to remain in isolation. The committee emphasizes that there are no mobile cards: "A solution had to be thought of before giving such a directive." Israelis in Thailand: "unnecessary hysteria"

Will the Corona influence the election? Fear that thousands of Israelis will not be able to vote

Corona Panic - Latest Updates:

• Foreign Ministry officials have criticized the Ministry of Health's guidelines for isolating returnees from eastern countries
• The Ministry of Health will discuss with the Electoral Commission how to allow the right of voters to stay in solitary confinement
• Election Commission spokesman: "Legislators should think of a solution before giving such a directive"
• EL AL will allow cancellation of plane tickets to Bangkok, with the Manufacturers Association demanding clarifications
• Israelis in Thailand: "There is needless hysteria, putting everyone under pressure"

Following the Ministry of Health's announcement of expanding restrictions on return from eastern countries, many Israelis traveling to Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau who plan to return to Israel in the coming days - may find themselves in isolation. In the coming days, the Ministry of Health will hold a hearing with the Central Election Commission to decide how to allow the voting rights of those returning from the East forced to stay in solitary confinement for two weeks.

According to the decision, made after assessing the situation of Minister Yaakov Litzman and a team of experts from his office, all those returning from these destinations will be required to stay in solitary confinement for 14 days - even if they do not suffer from any symptoms. This is for fear of contracting the corona virus that has so far killed 1,665 people, most of them in China. The new guidelines call into question the thousands of travelers coming to Israel, as the 23rd Knesset elections will take place in about 15 days - on March 2. Ministry officials say no procedures have been set so far.

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Israelis returning from a line of destinations in the East will be charged with isolation. A man with a mask in front of him in Hong Kong today (Photo: IP)

Man wearing mask in Hong Kong for fear of corona virus on February 16, 2020 (Photo: AP)

The Foreign Office has no estimate of the number of Israelis traveling in the East at this time, but it is probably several thousand, mainly in countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Japan. Every day flights depart for Thailand with at least 100 travelers. According to El Al Airlines, there are between 5,000 and 10,000 passengers in Thailand alone.

Giora Fordis, a spokesman for the Election Commission, explained in a conversation with Walla! NEWS that in its new directives, the Health Ministry did not take into account the issue of voting, forcing returning travelers to want to be in isolation. "There is no possibility of playing cards in Israeli law," he said. "Anyone who wants to vote must get out of the house and vote near their quarters. The legislature has not provided a solution to this directive, so a person forced to be in solitary confinement will have no way to vote."

Fordis explained that "even a person who has the flu or has had surgery and cannot leave the house cannot vote. Lawmakers had to think of a solution according to such a directive."

Corona Panic: The Jerusalem Rabbi may return from Singapore - and stay in solitary confinement

Three Israelis clung to the cruise ship. 'Diamond Princess' off the coast of Japan (Photo: AP)

Diamond Princess' pleasure spit in Tokyo, Japan February 16, 2020 (Photo: AP)

At the same time, the new guidelines have also been criticized by foreign ministry officials. Talking to Walla! NEWS, officials said they disagree with the Department of Health's position, and that any way of enforcing or monitoring these guidelines will be done solely by the Health Ministry and not by them. According to them, it is not at all clear how these will be carried out.

EL AL: You can cancel Banknock tickets without cancellation fees

The airlines also made preparations in light of the new guidelines. El Al announced their commercial policy update that "the ticket to Bangkok can be canceled or changed without cancellation or change fees, which is in the February 16 and March 2 date range."

El Al's head of medicine, Prof. Ari Shmiss, held a dedicated hearing this evening with the director general of the Ministry of Health, stating that the company's returning staff from these countries will be exempted from the quarantine under certain conditions, including the absence of virus-relevant symptoms. EL AL In the relevant destination countries, there will be no more than one night in a hotel near the airport, and will maintain more personal hygiene than usual as well as avoid close contact with locals.

It is estimated that there are thousands of Israelis traveling in Thailand. Maya Bay Bay (Photo: Shutterstock)

Maya Bay Thailand (Photo: ShutterStock)

Meanwhile, the Manufacturers Association sent a letter to Minister of Labor and Welfare Ophir Acunis and Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman asking for clarifications on the duties of employers and employees in light of the new guidelines. The letter, signed by the President of the Manufacturing Association Dr. Ron Tomer, states that it has not been clarified who will bear the cost of prolonged isolation and prohibition of employment and that "this lack of clarification creates confusion in the business sector."

The association demanded clarifications about paying sick pay to employees who are in solitary confinement. "In accordance with applicable law and regulations, an employer must pay sick pay to his employee only when the employee is incapacitated as a result of a poor health condition and unable to work due to illness. Given that these are not the case, since those who are in isolation are not necessarily ill or in poor health "There seems to be no legal source for billing from the business sector for the payment of sick leave for the duration of the isolation period, as well as for charging employees with the limited annual sick leave quota," Ministers Akunis and Litzman wrote.

Israelis in Thailand: "Really exaggerated, it's crazy"

The new guidelines were given in light of the continued spread of the virus, which for the first time also affected Israeli patients - three passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan. One of the Israelis who may find themselves in isolation is Yuval Alfei, 23, from Or Yehuda. Alfie was scheduled to end her big trip to the East and return from Thailand to Israel on Friday. Now that the new Ministry of Health guidelines have been published, it has to be reassessed. "I think it's unnecessary hysteria," she said.

She added, "An airport check had to be made for anyone returning to the country to see what the outcome was and whether there were any symptoms, as they do everywhere in the East. There is no fear here of Corona. I was in both Northern Thailand and the South, no one walking around with masks."

A month ago, she booked a vacation with her boyfriend to Rome after not seeing him for three months. "I planned to spend a few days in Bangkok and finish my big trip properly. Now, with the new guidance, it leaves me 24 hours to return to Israel to allow the flight to Rome," she said. Since tickets to Rome were pre-booked, she will likely forgo the visit to Bangkok. "At the moment, nothing is clear. We may not be able to get a refund on the flight, not the hotels or the tours we have booked."

"You can't say it's okay to fly but I have to be quarantined when I come back." Jubilee Thousands

Yuval Alfie (Photo: - official website)

Alfie added that the Ministry of Health is "jumping over the pop. Really exaggerating Israel and putting everyone in unnecessary pressure. It's just nonsense to tell us to be just in isolation without any danger. If you think there is a danger in Thailand - don't let us enter Thailand. "I would go back to Israel and not come in here. You can't say it's okay to fly but I have to be quarantined when I come back."

In addition, 39-year-old Oak is also on holiday in Thailand and plans to return to Israel soon. "The chance of being struck by lightning is greater than the chance of kidnapping Corona in Thailand. If the Ministry of Health knows something that someone does not know - to be counted. In Thailand there are a total of 16 patients who did not heal, and this is the data of the World Health Ministry," he said.

Passengers at a Bangkok train station with masks on their faces (Photo: AP)

Passengers at a Bangkok train station with masks ahead of them for fear of being infected in Corona on February 7, 2020 (Photo: AP)

According to Alon, "It is crazy. I hope that by the time I return to Israel they will get rid of their nonsense. It will be sucks if forced. I do not understand what is happening? I have been in Thailand for several months and this map sounds really stupid."

He added that the directive could also hurt his business. "People have a job and there is life. You can't just shut down people in the house for the sake of making a hit," he said. "I don't really think the state can force people to be quarantined after they return from abroad, it seems silly to me and I don't believe people Really going to have it. "

Passengers at Bangkok airport with masks on their faces, last month (Photo: AP)

People wearing masks at Bankcock Thailand airport for fear of Corona virus on January 31, 2020 (Photo: AP)

On social networks, Israeli travelers in Thailand have also resented the guidelines. On the Facebook page "Thailand Free" called for protest against the guidelines and wrote: "It does not make sense to all this stupidity. Something must be done against." Other users wrote: "Free of hysterical state. I am in Thailand, here feel nothing and there are no patients." On the other hand, others tried to reassure: "It is the passenger's self-isolation and responsibility. You do not place an elite unit battalion outside the house that you will not leave."

The Israelis infected with the cruise ship virus were taken off board and for an hour they will remain in Japan for further medical treatment. The rest of the passengers will undergo medical examinations to make sure the virus is not in their body, with answers received within 24 hours. Anyone who is healthy will receive a special certificate from the Japanese government, get off the ship and board a special flight back to Israel. A total of 355 patients were found on the ship.

(First Update: 10pm)