Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is set to stay in self-isolation after genetic sequencing indicated that his daughter may have contracted the Omicron coronavirus variant, his office said on Monday.
This means he will need to quarantine for seven days and get two negative tests, despite being vaccinated.
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Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sitting at the Knesset plenum dedicated quarantine rastra
(Photo: Knesset Channel)
The process will be completed within the next two days.
His office said in a statement that he will continue self-isolating and work from his home in Ra'anana.
Despite this, Bennett was set to appear for a debate at the Knesset plenum following threats from the opposition to filibuster all Knesset work unless he showed up for a discussion under rules requiring his presence if 40 MKs sign a petition demanding it.
He will attend the session from a special isolation booth in the viewing gallery.
"The opposition's disregard for public health is severe," Bennett said in response to the opposition's demand. "While we do everything to raise every citizen's sense of responsibility in the face of rising morbidity, [Oppostion Leader Benjamin] Netanyahu is playing with the disease for a minor political achievement."
Bennett went into quarantine on Sunday, shortly after being notified during a cabinet meeting that his daughter was found positive for COVID-19.
Bennett left the weekly meeting of his cabinet and headed home after learning of his daughter's positive test, which came amid fast-spreading infections in Israel caused by the Omicron variant.
The premier's daughter had been vaccinated against COVID-19, his office said. It did not disclose whether she had been infected by Omicron or the Delta variant also prevalent in Israel.
Before the cabinet session began, Bennett, who had a vaccine booster shot on Aug. 20, and other members of his government took rapid antigen tests and received negative results.
Bennett drew public criticism after his wife and children went on holiday abroad early this month, despite his calls for Israelis to help stem Omicron's spread by canceling plans to fly overseas.
His government later approved measures barring Israelis from traveling to most countries. Those edicts were preceded by an Israeli ban on the entry of foreigners.
Israel has reported 1,118 confirmed cases of Omicron, with the number of people infected by the variant now doubling every two days.