Coronavirus Outbreak: Israeli PM Netanyahu dials 'friend' PM Modi

With global Coronavirus outbreak hitting ecomic activities and supply of essential goods, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that country was depended on "supply lines" from various countries and that he has h a telephonic conversation with PM Narendra Modi. His remarks came during joint statements with finance minister, ecomy and industry minister, Bank of Israel's goverr and finance ministry director-general on dealing with ecomic implications of coronavirus. 

"I also spoke to prime minister of India, my friend Narendra Modi. We are dependent on supply lines from various countries. We are looking into it all time," Netanyahu told a press conference on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister's Office, however, did t clearly spell out subject of Netanyahu's discussions with Modi in its press release.  

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Israeli prime minister has anunced a pack of 10 billion NIS (USD 2.86 billion) to facilitate ecomic activity in midst of challenges posed by spre of virus.  " Israeli ecomy is in a better situation than most ecomies in world: Unemployment is low, growth is high and debt to GDP ratio is good," Netanyahu said.

"However, we have a great challenge here that we all are feeling and which we are all aware of. In our view, we can also deal with it in a way that will allow us to get through it successfully in peace," he said.  "t without difficulty, and t without sacrifice, but in end, in peace, and I think that we can do this toger in an optimal manner," Netanyahu asserted.

In dition, Netanyahu asked people of Israel to change routines and discourd m from 'embracing, shaking hands and kissing'. He said, "I am asking you, citizens of Israel, to change your routines in order to deal with an external threat. In short, to change. It is t easy. It requires us to make many changes, such as some things that Israelis love to do. We love to embrace. We love to shake hands. We love to kiss. more."

Coronavirus Outbreak

dely vel coronavirus that first originated in Chinese city of Wuhan in December last year has claimed over 4,200 lives and infected more than 117,330 people across 107 countries and territories, with World Health Organisation (WHO) describing outbreak a pandemic. 

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged world governments to urgently scale up ir response to vel coronavirus if y are to stand a chance of stemming its spre. "Today's declaration of a pandemic is a call to action - for everyone, everywhere," secretary-general said in a statement.

"We can still change course of this pandemic -- but that means dressing inaction," he said. "I call on every government to step up and scale up ir efforts -- w."  " best science tells us, if countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize ir people in response, we can go a long way to mitigating transmission," Guterres said. His appeal echoed an earlier one by World Health Organization, which officially labeled outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday and blamed its spre and severity on "alarming levels of inaction".

(With AP inputs) 

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