The Israeli Navy has ordered several submarines and combat vessels to deploy at sea with the aim of maintaining operational readiness as the coronavirus crisis in Israel deepens.
The Israeli military is not immune to the global pandemic: According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, 19 soldiers, including one naval NCO, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 5,639 others – conscripted personnel, career officers, and civilians employed by the IDF – have been placed under home quarantine.
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The navy's move seeks to make sure its forces are able to protect Israel's maritime borders, shipping routes and offshore natural gas rigs, a defense official told Walla News.
According to the report, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit has issued a "coronavirus protocol," by which personnel serving on missile boats and submarines have been tested for the virus, then sent out to sea for long-term deployment.
Teams waiting for deployment have been placed under quarantine on their bases, and all bases have been instructed to maintain Health Ministry directives in the strictest possible way so as to prevent infection.
A senior navy official told Walla News that the sailors and officers' operational readiness has not been compromised under the new orders.
The new protocol further outlines an entire alternative chain of command for the naval forces should senior officers contract the virus. This scenario names replacements for every commander, from Sharvit down to the last systems supervisor.
The groups do not interact personally at this time to further minimize the risk of infection.
Vessels at sea have also been instructed to prepare for the possibility that a team member contracts the virus, the official said.
"There's a clear protocol in place," he explained. "There are sections on board were he [the infected soldier] can be quarantined. He will receive the necessary support and if need be, we can evacuate him ashore.
"The one issue that is still being worked out is what to do with the rest of the team who might have been exposed. In all likelihood, they will remain quarantined on the vessel."
