IDF Timeline of COVID-19

September 22, 2020:

On Monday September 21, 2020, Israeli Minister of Defense MK Benny Gantz together with Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi approved the establishment of the "Ella" Unit for Epidemiological Investigation. Approximately 600 soldiers and dozens of reservists will be allocated to the unit to help reinforce and extend the epidemiological investigation efforts under the command of the "Alon" Task Force of the Home Front Command.

September 21, 2020:

As of September 21 2020, 30 new "Test and Go" complexes will be permanently deployed in cities across the country, in addition to those already existing in red cities. Citizens can come to the complexes to be tested through a referral provided by a health care provider, or by identification in the epidemiological investigation system.

September 9, 2020:

Approximately 500 IDF officers and soldiers have been allocated to assist the Israel Police. The troops will be acting in accordance with instructions issued by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health and the Israel Police in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 in municipalities with the highest infection rates.

September 8, 2020:

The Commanding Officer of the Home Front Command, Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin, and the Commanding Officer of the Home Front Command's Haifa District, Col. Elad Edri, visited the local authorities of Umm al-Fahm and Reineh to conduct a situational assessment. In the situational assessment, they were presented with the exposure reduction success rates, the goals of the authorities, the difficulties they face, and other issues that required their assistance.

August 6, 2020:

The new IDF Coronavirus Task Force began operating on the national level. The task force will be active for several months and will gradually build up its capabilities before becoming fully operational within a month. Read more about the task force here.

August 4, 2020:

Following the decision to establish the Coronavirus Task Force, the IDF announced the appointment of Brig. Gen. Nisan Davidi as the Commanding Officer of the Task Force. 

July 27, 2020: 

The IDF Home Front Command announced the establishment of a Coronavirus Task Force in the IDF in the coming days. The task force will assist the Ministry of Health, government ministries, and local authorities in establishing an effective way to improve the existing COVID-19 related processes and to contain the spread of infection. 

July 16, 2020:

The IDF Medical Corps and Logistics Corps reopened the recreational resort in Ashkelon as a recovery center for soldiers with COVID-19 who exhibit mild symptoms. Approximately 200 soldiers were admitted where they will receive appropriate medical assistance.

July 9, 2020:

A week ago, the IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, came in contact with an IDF soldier who was diagnosed with COVID-19 today.  In accordance with the Ministry of Health's guidelines, the Chief of the General Staff and additional officers will enter quarantine. The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi will continue his regular schedule to the extent possible. At this time, the Chief of the General Staff is not suffering any symptoms, is feeling well, and will be tested soon.

July 5, 2020:

Approximately another 300 IDF soldiers will assist the Ministry of Health in epidemiology investigations relating to COVID-19.

The IDF will open and staff a call center in an attempt to assist the Ministry of Health.

July 1, 2020:

The IDF Home Front Command is working to assist new immigrants to Israel and returning citizens. Over half of them will be transported to IDF-managed quarantine hotels.

Additionally, another 20 IDF paramedics will be joining the 80 specially-trained paramedics that are currently working in the Corona Test Lab.

June 28, 2020:

Approximately 80 paramedics from all across the IDF underwent special training on how to assist in COVID-19 lab testing. The paramedics will assist laboratory workers in processing tests after sampling.

In the following weeks, Israel's Emergency Medical Services, MDA, will continue to host blood donation drives at IDF bases across the country.

June 25, 2020:

The IDF Home Front Command's Search and Rescue Brigade concludes its mission to bring Israeli civilians stranded abroad back to Israel. Over the last two months, the Search and Rescue Brigade has brought over 30,000 civilians home through its missions.

June 24, 2020:

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the IDF has reopened a COVID-19 testing laboratory at the Tzrifin military base.

The IDF Medical Corps, Logistics Corps, and Military Police will work together to collect testing samples. This lab will test hundreds of those samples a day.

June 23, 2020:

The IDF has reintroduced some regulations in the military in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 within military bases.

May 13, 2020:

Soldiers will be prohibited from taking transportation from central bus stations on Sundays until noon and on Thursdays after noon, to avoid large congregations and the potential spread of COVID-19.

May 7, 2020:

The IDF concludes its operations of an IDF transportation system as public transportation regains its normal schedule. 

All soldiers who were quarantined with COVID-19 and receiving treatment in the Ashkelon recovery village were transported to the Arlington Hotel in Ashkelon and Carlton Hotel in Nahariya.

May 3, 2020:

An IDF program providing childcare and educational lessons to the children of medical staff has successfully been completed. During this program, 365 soldiers provided 50 educational frameworks for the children of 1,650 medical professionals.

As part of an effort to assist residents of the Palestinian Authority, a door-to-door public awareness campaign has begun in the local council of Hura, and food distribution efforts by the Southern District Bedouin Rescue Batallion continued in the Home Front Command’s Southern Precinct.

April 21, 2020:

Approximately 670 IDF soldiers will continue to assist the Israeli Police in Bnei Brak and Jerusalem in enforcing traffic protocols during this difficult time.

The IDF 98th Division is gradually completing their two-week long mission in Bnei Brak, where they assisted and helped transport elderly civilians into hotels managed and facilitated by the IDF.

The Nahal Brigade is wrapping up its mission of providing relief to the city of Jerusalem. The Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Brigade will continue to assist the civilian population as needed.

April 19, 2020:

The IDF Home Front Command has launched a public awareness campaign in Arabic to provide instructions the Israeli Muslim public on how to celebrate Ramadan while adhering to medical guidelines. During the month of Ramadan, the IDF Home Front Command will release approximately 20 videos on the holiday. In addition, as part of the campaign, the IDF has distributed 270,000 brochures and stickers with instructions and advice. Over the course of the week, the IDF is expected to distribute over 350,000 food packages to Muslim families.

April 16, 2020:

Classified Intelligence Unit 81 discovered a way to convert home-breathing devices (BiPaPs) into ventilators for COVID-19 patients. The unit is delivering hundreds of these ventilators to Sheba hospital and is producing thousands more.

April 13, 2020:

After receiving recommendations from the Deputy Chief of the General Staff Major General Eyal Zamir to slowly allow troops to return home after an extended period on base, the IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi announces that bases may begin sending soldiers home in a gradual, controlled manner and in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s guidelines.

Upon arrival, two civilian planes, carrying 144 passengers from Ethiopia and Belarus, were assimilated by the IDF and taken to two hotels facilitated and managed by the military used to quarantine civilians coming from abroad.

IDF troops from the Southern Command and Gaza Division begin cooperating with local authorities and assisting civilians living in the area by the Gaza Strip by delivering Passover supplies to civilians at-risk.

The Jerusalem District of the Home Front Command is tasked to aid the Ministry of Health and the Israeli Police in enforcing restrictions in the city of Jerusalem, in an effort to minimize the spread of the virus.

April 12, 2020:

The Israeli Navy Marine Commando Unit, Shayetet 13, has developed a solution to increase limited oxygen supplies for civilians. The unit has converted an operational production line into a medical oxygen compressing system that follows required health protocols. In addition, the unit is sharing its knowledge with foreign militaries in order for it to be used all over the world. 

April 5, 2020:

The IDF 98th Division is working with the Home Front Command to assist civilians in Bnei Brak. In Bnei Brak, a zone with a high proportion of COVID-19 cases, soldiers are helping evacuate the elderly into hotels facilitated and managed by the IDF. In addition, the unit is providing additional assistance within Bnei Brak such as distributing food and medication, and providing welfare and logistical assistance. Over the course of the week, approximately 15,000 food packages—which contained dry goods, vegetables, fruits and toilet paper—were distributed.

The IDF Home Front Command is working with the Education and Youth Corps to assist medical workers throughout Israel by providing day-care services for their children. Across 45 hospitals in Israel, over 2,500 children are being taken care of by 350 soldiers, 12 hours a day 5 times a week.

April 2, 2020:

The IDF Home Front Command and Technological and Logistics Directorate are operating seven 24/7 COVID-19 testing drive-thrus throughout the country where civilians can drive to the compounds and be tested for the virus from their cars.

April 1, 2020:

IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi tests negative for COVID-19. Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi remains in isolation until the end of the week in accordance with restrictions.

March 31, 2020:

On March 22, 2020, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi attended a meeting with an officer who was diagnosed with COVID-19. In accordance with the Ministry of Health’s instructions, Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi has been placed in isolation although he reports being symptom-less.

Approximately 600 IDF soldiers have started assisting the Israeli Police in implementing the Ministry of Health’s and the government’s restrictions in civilian areas. The IDF soldiers will be performing patrols, isolating and securing areas, and blocking routes to help minimize the spread of the virus.

March 29, 2020:

Approximately 200 reserve soldiers from the Military Unit for Hospital Assistance have been recruited to provide logistical and administrative assistance in 10 civilian hospitals throughout Israel. The reservists will partake in tasks such as evacuating hospital wards, adjusting wards to different needs, establishing new wards, and transporting medical equipment.

March 26, 2020:

The IDF begins operating an alternative transport system for military personnel. In order to maintain maximum operational capacity, 260 buses drive between bases across the country Sundays through Thursdays and follow strict guidelines to ensure the health of the soldiers aboard. A mobile app is available to help soldiers plan their route to base.

March 24, 2020:

The IDF has opened a medical lab to test military personnel for COVID-19. The lab, which is run by the IDF Medical Corps, is capable of processing hundreds of COVID-19 tests a day.

Kinar Hotel in the Golan Heights is converted into a quarantine and rehabilitation facility with the purpose of hosting 260 civilians who recently returned from Italy.

March 22, 2020:

The Israeli Air Force sends a delegation of 16 crew members on an IAF KC-707 to Germany to return approximately 30 combat troops from the Israeli Navy to Israel. In accordance with instructions from the Ministry of Health, the troops were all immediately placed in quarantine upon their arrival to Israel.

March 20, 2020:

40 combat troops from the Search and Rescue Brigade assisted local authorities in evacuating and sanitizing a hostel in the town of Gedera, where a staff member was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The IDF Medical Corps converted a recreational resort in Ashkelon into a medical facility to treat soldiers with mild cases of COVID-19. Patients are in contact with a doctor and nurses through a special app and receive a personalized medical kit to track their recovery.

March 18, 2020:

The second quarantine and rehabilitation facility, the Dan Hotel in Jerusalem, is opened to help civilians.

In an effort to dispel misinformation surrounding COVID-19, the Home Front Command, in conjunction with the National Information Center, opens an emergency portal for Israeli civilians in Hebrew, English, Russian, and Arabic.

March 17, 2020:

The Home Front Command is tasked by the Ministry of Defense to help contain the spread of COVID-19 in Israel and to open quarantine and rehabilitation facilities for civilians with COVID-19. The Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv is opened to rehabilitate civilians.

March 15, 2020:

The IDF Home Front Command opens a joint information center with Magen David Adom—Israel’s Emergency Medical Service—to act as a source of information for civilians who may have questions about the virus and increase the response to those infected.

Following concerns that the isolation of many Israeli civilians—which is necessary to combat the spread of COVID-19—could potentially result in a shortage of blood supplies in Israel, the IDF begins working with Magen David Adom to initiate blood donations from IDF soldiers. Since March 15, 2020, IDF soldiers have donated over 11,091 pints of blood. 

March 12. 2020:

The Home Front Command opens a 24/7 call center with Magen David Adom—Israel’s national emergency medical service—to answer any questions civilians and soldiers may have about the virus.

March 5, 2020:

The IDF is cooperating with Palestinian medical teams to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the Palestinian territories by:

• Transferring COVID-19 test kits and disinfectant materials from Israel to the Palestinian territories. 
• Closing the Erez border crossing (with Gaza) and Bethlehem—per instruction of the Palestinian Authority—except in humanitarian cases. 
• Conducting joint medical training sessions with the Palestinian Authority.