Covid-19: Israel minister who called virus ‘divine punishment for homosexuals’ tested positive

Israel’s homophobic health minister Yaakov Litzman has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after flouting his own lockdown to attend group prayers despite the ban on the public congregations, as per the Times of Israel report.

The minister who is now infected with the coronavirus had earlier claimed that the coronavirus was the divine punishment for homosexuality.

Meanwhile, several senior officials in Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet, have been forced to go into isolation after the 71-year-old minister contracted coronavirus.

The Prime Minister had already been in isolation after one of his senior aides tested positive for Covid-19, but his two tests came out negative. The Health Minister's diagnosis has reportedly forced 70-year-old PM back into quarantine, the Mirror reported.

Israel’s Health Minister Litzman is the head of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party.

He was accused of praying at the home of a fellow member of his Gur Hasidic sect last Saturday — three days after Israel brought in health guidelines barring services from being held indoors.

According to media reports, worshippers maintained social distancing but shared a small space for more than an hour and a half.

On Monday, after Israel went stricter with the guidelines to ban any group prayer services from being held - indoors or outdoors - Litzman was allegedly seen again praying at a synagogue in Jerusalem near his home.

Litzman and his wife were both then diagnosed with Covid-19 overnight on Wednesday, according to local reports.