Coronavirus cases rise to 55 in Israel

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel's Health Ministry on Tuesday reported five new coronavirus cases, bringing the total infections in the country to 55.

Five people were diagnosed with the disease after recently returning from Azerbaijan, Germany and Switzerland.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced imposing mandatory quarantine for arrivals for 14 days.

The global death toll from the coronavirus is now over 4,000, with nearly 114,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The virus originated in China but has reached over 100 countries, with the WHO saying on Monday that the “threat of a pandemic has become very real”.

As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, some governments closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the worst-hit countries.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat