(Ynetnews) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yaakov Litzman announced that Israelis arriving from France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Spain must enter a two-week period of quarantine. Non-Israelis will be allowed in from those destinations if they can be quarantined for the first two weeks of their stay.

Netanyahu advised against shaking hands, and suggested the Indian greeting namaste as an option.

Litzman announced the health ministry has now imposed a ban on public events and assemblies of more than 5,000 participants as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

The directive follows previous similar instructions for Israelis returning from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and Italy.

Earlier, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, David Lau, told observant Jews they should refrain from the custom of kissing the mezuzah when entering a building or a room.