The Israeli government has approved a measure allowing the country's internal security service Shin Bet to track the movements of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th March, 2020) The Israeli government has approved a measure allowing the country's internal security service Shin Bet to track the movements of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in order to monitor who might have been in their vicinity before their diagnosis was confirmed, the Haaretz newspaper reports, as the number of confirmed cases in the country reaches 250.
According to a senior Justice Ministry official, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, the government's order allows Shin Bet to, without a court order, track the movements of people using cellular location data for 14 days before their diagnosis.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had suggested that the government could give its approval to such a measure, adding that digital methods that were often used in anti-terror operations may be utilized to combat the outbreak.
Health officials in Israel on Monday morning reported 37 new COVID-19 cases overnight, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 250 since the start of the outbreak. More than 50,000 Israelis remain under quarantine.
So far, no coronavirus disease-related deaths have been confirmed in Israel. Netanyahu's press office told Sputnik on Sunday that the prime minister and people close to him have tested negative for COVID-19.
On Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court postponed Netanyahu's corruption trial for two months, as the government steps up its efforts to combat the spread of the disease.
