Two more Israelis passed away on Friday morning of the coronavirus, a 76-year-old woman and 93-year-old man, raising Israel’s death toll to 10. There are 3,035 Israelis diagnosed with the coronavirus, with 49 in serious condition and 60 in moderate condition.

The 93-year-old man passed away hours after he was brought to Soroka Medical Center from the nursing home he resided in. The hospital stated that he had serious underlying illnesses.

The 76-year-old woman, who also had underlying health issues, passed away in Sharon Hospital in Petach Tikva.

There are currently 45 IDF soldiers who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and 4,156 in quarantine. The IDF has opened its own laboratory for IDF soldiers and will process 300 tests per day.

הצצה למעבדה הצה״לית לזיהוי הקורונה: https://t.co/1eOUJAWGvn pic.twitter.com/hESXhnM2lB

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) March 24, 2020

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Wednesday that the Defense Ministry is taking responsibility for Israelis returning from abroad. Anyone returning from countries at risk abroad from Motzei Shabbos will be tested for the coronavirus immediately upon landing in Israel and be transferred to “coronavirus hotels” for quarantine.

In an operation dubbed Operation Guards of Gold, the IDF and Defense Ministry officials will also be taking responsibility for Israel’s elderly population during the current coronavirus pandemic, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.

אנחנו מתייצבים למשימה הקדושה של שמירה על האוכלוסיה המבוגרת בישראל.
בצה״ל ובמערכת הביטחון, נעשה זאת יחד עם צעירי ישראל!🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/tiCSzELVmP

— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) March 24, 2020

“The IDF and the Defense Ministry are taking responsibility for protecting the elderly population of the State of Israel,” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said. “The coronavirus harms the older population much more severely than the young. So at the heart of the national plan is to protect the elderly and high-risk populations. To that end, the Home Front Command, the IDF and the defense establishment are fully committed to carrying out the mission and we will rise to the mission.”

The Defense Ministry’s Home Front Command is managing the “coronavirus hotels” across Israel which are quarantining and treating coronavirus patients in light condition. The Home Front Command is also assisting the MDA to operate the coronavirus drive-through testing stations.

Female IDF soldiers are assisting in running daycares for the children of essential medical staff.

An El Al flight took off on Friday morning from San Jose, Costa Rica, repatriating 150 Israeli backpackers from Central America to Israel. The flight made history as the first El Al flight from Sane Jose. Earlier this week, El Al made its first direct flight to and from Australia to repatriate 250 Israelis from Australia and New Zealand.

לפני שעה קלה המריאה מלימה, בירת פרו, קבוצה של 23 ישראלים, על מטוס חילוץ ששלח משרד החוץ הגרמני. מדובר במטיילים ישראלים אשר לא הצליחו לעלות על טיסות החילוץ של אל על בשבוע שעבר ונשארו תקועים. העלייה על המטוס התאפשרה בעקבות שיתוף פעולה יוצא דופן של ממשלת גרמניה וממשלת ישראל pic.twitter.com/pTZKxvFiaP

— Antonia Yamin אנטוניה ימין (@antonia_yamin) March 26, 2020

כל הסיפור ב-11 שניות: מטוס אל-על מתנתק מהגייט בבוגוטה לפני שעה קלה לקראת המראה לישראל. צוות השגרירות בקולומביה הפך עולמות על מנת לגרום לטיסה הזאת לקרות, ולהחזיר את הישראלים במדינה הביתה. כל הכבוד. https://t.co/7A6Aqh4deg

— Yuval Rotem 🇮🇱 (@Yuval_Rotem) March 26, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)