Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon on Sunday called on employers to consider allowing work from home for their employees in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Kahlon's push will be submitted to the government's consideration in the next weekly Cabinet meeting.
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Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon at a Health Ministry consultation on the coronavirus
(Photo: Flash 99)
"We in the Finance Ministry are reassessing the situation periodically alongside the government, the National Security Council and health officials," Kahlon said. "Will take the necessary steps. The Israeli economy is strong."
Additional steps currently considered include the establishment of a fund to assist businesses severely affected by the coronavirus crisis, as announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, adding that he will enlist Israel's best minds to facilitate mass examinations helping separate the sick from those who are well and can continue to preserve Israel's economy.
"Israel is almost in the best possible state of preparedness because of our strict policies, so we have things under control and intend to keep them that way," Netanyahu said.
The prime minister also announced he had initiated a conference call with other world leaders to be held in the coming days to see how countries can help each other through the crisis.
"This is a world-wide pandemic and not a local problem," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli Airforce will be conscripted to ensure essential products and supplies reach the country at a time many commercial airlines have suspended their flights to Israel.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Yaakov Litzman announced that his ministry will publish updated guidelines on Sunday in line with government efforts to contain the spread of the pathogen.
"There are 20,000 people currently in quarantine," Litzman said at the beginning of the Security Cabinet's weekly meeting.
The minister likened Israel to Switzerland, a country of similar size, and said Israel has only 25 cases of the virus compared to 270 in the European nation.
The Tel Aviv stock market opened this week's trade amid negative trends in foreign stocks as a result of the coronavirus fall out.
The TA-35 index is down 5.1% and TA-125 is down 5.8%.
First published: 12:14, 03.08.20