IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and two IDF generals entered self-quarantine on Tuesday after an IDF officer they met with was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Kochavi had a meeting with Homefront Command commanders last Sunday and one of the commanders was diagnosed with the virus on Tuesday, the IDF stated.

“In light of this, according to the Health Ministry’s instructions, the chief of staff will be self-quarantining in his office until the end of the week,” the IDF said, adding that Kochavi will be tested for the coronavirus shortly.

Kochavi is reportedly feeling well and will continue with his regular schedule via digital means.

Major-General Tamir Yadai, head of the Home Front Command, and Major-General Aaron Haliva, head of IDF Operations, have also entered self -quarantine. This is the second isolation period for Haliva, who was required to self-quarantine after returning from a trip to Italy last month.

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said at a press conference on Tuesday that “there is light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel” and that Israel is in a good place is its battle against the coronavirus despite the rising numbers.

עדכון קורונה יומי ״בגובה העיניים״ #15 https://t.co/R7zI3tPAe1

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) March 31, 2020

“There hasn’t been an exponential growth in the rate of infection or mortality in Israel,” Bennett said. “Among the countries with a high infection rate, and we are one of those, we have the lowest death rate. Italy’s death rate is 11%, the US – 1.7%, France – 6.4%, Switzerland – 2%, Holland – 7% and Germany, which is doing wonderful work – 0.8%. Israel’s death rate is 0.3%.”

About 600 IDF commanders and soldiers from combat training bases began assisting Israel Police on Tuesday to enforce Health Ministry restrictions in the civilian population.

מחר, החל משעות הצהריים, יחלו כ-600 מפקדי וחיילי צה"ל מבסיסי הכשרות הלחימה בפעולת תגבור וסיוע למשטרת ישראל. החיילים הוקצו לביצוע משימות סיור, בידוד שטחים ואבטחתם, חסימות צירים ועוד, כחלק ממימוש מגבלות התנועה במרחב האזרחי בהתאם להנחיות משרד הבריאות והדרג המדיני pic.twitter.com/qmboAKlTim

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 30, 2020

Also on Tuesday, about 1,000 IDF soldiers joined the civilian aid effort to assist the at-risk elderly population and about 600 soldiers of the Rescue Unit of the Home Front Command began transporting and distributing about 54,000 food packages to populations designated by local authorities.

הבוקר הצטרפו למאמץ הסיוע למרחב האזרחי כ-1,000 חיילי צה"ל בסיוע למקבצי דיור של אוכלוסיות גיל הזהב אשר נמצאות בסיכון. בנוסף, כ- 600 חיילי חטיבת החילוץ של פיקוד העורף בסיוע אט״ל החלו בחלוקה ושינוע של כ- 54,000 מנות מזון לאוכלוסיות שהוגדרו על ידי הרשויות המקומיות pic.twitter.com/3XyPNuGOdf

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 31, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)