Contact With COVID-19 Positive Passenger On Plane From UAE, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett Undergoes Quarantine

UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomed the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Source: WAM/Hatem Mohamed/Tariq alfaham)

JAKARTA - A person infected with the Coronavirus traveled from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Israel on the same plane, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his delegation, the Prime Minister's Office said.

Prime Minister Bennett and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met on Monday for the first time. Prime Minister Bennett, who returned directly to Israel, entered isolation on Monday evening, citing The Jerusalem Post on December 14.

The prime minister and his delegation were already in quarantine when they were notified of a positive COVID-19 passenger. PM Bennett and his entourage immediately underwent a PCR test at the airport, scheduled to carry out another test on Wednesday, by Israeli travel regulations.

It is still unknown whether the passenger was carrying the Omicron variant or other variants. The sample still needs to be genetically screened.

After learning about the positive case, the PMO contacted the Ministry of Health for detailed instructions.

PM Bennett has received three COVID-19 vaccinations, following all Coronavirus restrictions during his travels, his office said.

The news of the infected passengers comes as the country sees a slight increase in new daily cases, amid fears of the Omicron variant that entered Israel two weeks ago. This variant is known to be more infectious and more vaccine-resistant than its predecessor the Delta variant.

For information, Israel recorded 744 new cases of infection diagnosed on Sunday, the Ministry of Health said Monday. On the same day last week, there were only 495 new cases. However, the number of serious cases continues to decline. There were 90 serious cases as of Monday morning, including 48 who were intubated.