UPDATE - Coronavirus deaths rise to 31 in Israel

UPDATES DEATH TOLL

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Coronavirus has killed 31 people in Israel amid 6,211 cases so far, health officials said on Thursday.

The Health Ministry said five more deaths were confirmed early Thursday, the Israeli Broadcast Authority reported.

The ministry added that 119 new infections were recorded.

In Israel, all schools have been closed and all public meetings in open or closed areas with more than 10 people have been banned.


All trading firms except supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and banks have also been closed since March 15.

Tel Aviv banned the entry of foreign citizens, except those who have residency in Israel.

After surfacing in Wuhan, China last December, coronavirus has spread to 180 countries and regions. The global death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 47,000, with more than 937,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Over 194,000 have recovered from infections so far.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat