Israel closed off its borders in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The move, which is one of the strictest of any country across the world, was announced by the Population Immigration and Border Authority on Wednesday.
“After receiving the recommendation of the Health Ministry, it was decided that beginning today, the entry of foreigners who are not Israeli citizens or [permanent] residents will not be allowed,” the agency said in a statement.
An exception could be made for non-nationals whose “center of life is in Israel,” although PIBA did not offer specific details.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri announced that border crossings with Egypt and Jordan would be shut down, essentially isolating the Middle Eastern country. Israelis are also being told to shelter in their homes unless they need to travel for work, to get groceries, or other essential reasons.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Wednesday that it was “inevitable” that the country would soon go into a complete lockdown.
In Israel, there have been 433 cases of the coronavirus and 11 recoveries. There have not yet been any deaths, according to the latest reading by the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Worldwide, there have been at least 211,853 cases of the coronavirus, about 83,000 recoveries, and at least 8,724 deaths.
