Newborn baby in Israel tests POSITIVE for Covid-19

A baby of only eight days old has tested positive for Covid-19 in Tel Aviv, Israel in a stark reminder that while children are considered lower risk, they certainly aren’t safe in this pandemic.

The baby was born at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, but was later brought to the Wolfson Medical Center in the suburb of Holon in southern Tel Aviv after it developed a fever and other symptoms of the virus.

The center confirmed the diagnosis on Tuesday, saying that the infant is in a special isolation ward. The mother, meanwhile, has tested negative for the infection.

Young children and infants are not considered high-risk groups for Covid-19, but it’s not the first time a very young child has tested positive for the virus. A child under one year old died of the virus in Chicago in late March. A six-week-old baby who tested positive also died in Connecticut. Chinese doctors have previously reported that a baby died in Wuhan, China early into the outbreak.

Israel has reported 11,868 positive cases and 174 deaths due to the virus as of April 14. There have also been hundreds of cases reported in the West Bank and 13 confirmed cases in Gaza.

The government has implemented a slew of measures, including making the wearing of masks in public compulsory and tightening travel restrictions. A curfew imposed on citizens was lifted on April 9. The ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak has been placed under lockdown after it emerged as a hotspot for the virus.

An ultra-Orthodox Jewish family walks in Bnei Brak, a "restricted zone" due to high rates of Covid-19 infections © Reuters / Amir Cohen

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