"The Chief of Staff decided that the IDF officers on compulsory or permanent service would not be allowed to travel abroad for professional or private purposes starting from tomorrow’s noon [10:00 GMT]. The defence minister [Naftali Bennett] has agreed with this decision," Adraee said in a statement.
The spokesman added that the move followed the decision made by Chief of the General Staff Aviv Kochavi to take efforts to "reduce the number of soldiers in isolation," since those travelling abroad are subject to be quarantined in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
As of 5 March, more than 95,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported globally, with more than 3,200 deaths, the vast majority of which were in China’s Hubei Province where the virus originated.
The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel has reached 15.