Travelers wear face masks for fear of coronavirus infection in Venice on Feb. 23, 2020. Photo: Nati Shohat/Flash90.

JNS.org – Israeli Health Minister Ya’akov Litzman announced on Monday that Israel may quarantine travelers returning from Italy and Australia due to fear of coronavirus infection.

“I suggest Israelis not travel to Italy. We are checking to determine whether Italy and Australia will become countries whose returnees will enter isolation upon arrival in Israel,” said  Litzman, according to The Times of Israel.

“We will not hesitate to enforce the quarantine,” he told Army Radio.

The Australian Health Ministry has confirmed 22 cases of coronavirus infection, with seven of the cases being passengers of the Japanese cruise ship Diamond Princess that are being flown back from Japan.

Meanwhile, in Italy, officials cut short the Venice Carnival in order to control the largest outbreak of the coronavirus in Europe, the BBC reported.

There are 152 cases of the virus in Italy, and three people have died. A quarantine is in place in two high-risk regions near Milan and Venice, the report noted.

Around 50,000 people cannot enter or leave the towns of Veneto and Lombardy for two weeks without special permission.