Israel: 180 suspected cases of COVID-19 in nuclear reactor plant

Israeli police check vehicles at a checkpoint near Tel Aviv, on 3 April 2020 during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. [JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images]

Some 180 workers at Israel’s Dimona nuclear plant have been put in isolation after being suspected of having coronavirus infections, Israel Hayom reported yesterday.

The national newspaper quoted sources at the plant as saying that five workers were confirmed to have contracted the virus.

The sources added that the Dimona plant had witnessed a “significant increase in the number of coronavirus cases,” noting that the total number of patients had reached 101 people, up from 11 the previous week.

The Israeli Ministry of Health recently ordered the city of Dimona to be put into lockdown in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Israel yesterday confirmed 859 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily number of cases since the virus was first detected on 21 February, the country’s health ministry said.

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