Israeli nurses strike in protest of work conditions

JERUSALEM

Nurses across Israeli hospitals and clinics on Monday started a strike in protest of their work conditions and work pressure amid the coronavirus outbreak.

It remains unclear whether the strike will last for one day or more.

Efforts to reach an agreement between the nurses association and the Israeli Finance Ministry over the demands of the nurses have failed.

On Sunday, the Israeli Health Ministry said that 813 nurses have been quarantined for suspicion of coming to contact with coronavirus patients.

The nurses association complains that no further nurses are recruited despite the work pressure in the light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ilana Cohen, head of the Israeli nurses association, said that the shortage in the number of nurses was even prevalent before the virus outbreak, blaming the Finance Ministry for the situation.

Israeli health authorities on Monday reported 951 infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the country's total cases to 50,714, including 409 deaths.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara