Two days after Israel announced the most drastic air-travel restrictions in the western world to counter the novel coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a plan to help mitigate the economic impact of the containment measures and to shore up healthcare preparedness.
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"We are following the latest developments and the economic indicators," Netanyahu said in a press conference along with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, noting that Israel's economy will be affected by the new moves, which include a two-week quarantine on all tourists and citizens who enter Israel and various ordinances that prohibit large gatherings.
"The coronavirus will have a big impact, but we are entering this crisis in a good shape compared to other countries. Israel is in good shape and the banks are strong and stable, the debt-to-GDP ratio is good, but even so, we are faced with a challenge that we have to meet successfully," Netanyahu said.
He went to say that his government would not leave businesses and healthcare professionals to their own devices.
"We are assembling an aid package of 10 billion shekels (2.8 billion dollars); this is just for immediate assistance," Netanyahu said. "We will continue to monitor the situation and provide more help as needed. This is a matter of life and death."
