Tel Aviv: The Israeli government on Monday 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 reported.
The number of confirmed cases in Israel reached 250 on Monday.
According to a senior Justice Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity said, the government’s order allows Shin Bet to, without a court order, track the movements of people using cellular phone 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. Officials have said 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.
