(AP photo)The Israeli government approved a tight quarantine of several areas of Jerusalem today, including the historic Old City, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the city’s most susceptible neighborhoods. Israel’s Health Ministry has documented over 10,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and over 100 deaths. Roughly a fifth of all cases in Israel are in Jerusalem, the ministry said. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death, particularly in elderly patients or those with underlying health problems. Starting today, residents of four areas of Jerusalem would not be permitted to leave their neighborhoods for provisioning, and could only move to other areas for essential work and medical care.

Source: The Standard April 12, 2020 07:18 UTC