(JTA) — The Knesset was mostly shut down on Thursday after a lawmaker from the Arab Joint List announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Sami Abu Shehadeh was tested for the virus after his driver was diagnosed with COVID-19. He and his staff are now in isolation.
Abu Shehadeh told the Kan public broadcaster on Thursday morning that he is asymptomatic and has met with thousands of people in the last week, including at protests, family events and Knesset meetings.
All Knesset committee meetings and other events scheduled for Thursday were canceled, and hundreds of Knesset employees were told to stay home unless their work at the building was deemed essential.
Israel has seen an uptick in confirmed cases of the coronavirus as it continues to reopen.
