Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, who is leading the “coronavirus hotel” initiative for patients with light symptoms, has decided to designate a special hotel for the Chareidi community, following a request from community leaders.

The Prima Palace Hotel in central Jerusalem will serve as the “coronavirus hotel” for the Chareidi community.

The IDF’s Home Front Command, MDA and Israel Police led by Bennett have prepared hotels to serve as quarantine and recovery facilities for coronavirus patients in light condition.

The Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv and the Dan Hotel in Jerusalem which is close to the Hadassah Har Hatzofim Hospital have already been opened and two more hotels, one in the northern city of Haifa and one in southern Israel will be prepared as well. Each hotel will have 500 rooms and have the capacity to hold up to 2,000 patients if necessary.

Bennett said the hotels are being used as a precaution in the case of a drastic increase in the number of coronaviurs patients which could potentially overwhelm Israel’s hospitals.

The hotels will also serve as an option for home quarantine which could potentially spread the virus to family members, especially in large families in small apartments.

Bennett said that the decision to set up the hotels was made due to the fact that the virus takes five weeks to completely pass before the patient poses no risk of infecting others.

“Five weeks at home is very difficult for families, especially if you live in an apartment,” Bennett said, adding that centralizing the patients in hotels will also make it easier for medical staff to monitor them.

Bennett added that he is planning hotels with “good conditions” – such as a “one or two-star hotel with medical staff.”

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(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)