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Israel&rsquo;s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has tested positive for COVID-19 after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken just days ahead of his scheduled visit to India.</p>
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Mr Bennett, 50, was scheduled to visit India from April 3 to 5 to mark the 30th anniversary of the growing diplomatic ties between the two countries. It is not yet known if the visit will be called off.</p>
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Mr Bennett, who met Mr Blinken in Jerusalem on Sunday on the sidelines of a &quot;historic summit&quot; of Israeli and Arab diplomats, &quot;is feeling well and will continue his schedule as planned from his home,&quot; a statement from his office said.</p>
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&ldquo;Mr Bennett will hold a situational assessment this morning on last night&rsquo;s terror attack with the participation of Defence Minister Benny Gantz, Internal Security Minister Omer Barlev, Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi and other officials,&rdquo; it said.</p>
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Pictures published by Israeli media after his visit to Hadera, during which he was also briefed by the police on terror attack by Islamic militants, showed him wearing a face mask. But the Prime Minister was not wearing a mask during a joint news conference with Mr Blinken on Sunday.</p>
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Israel is experiencing a modest increase in COVID-19 infections as an omicron subvariant spreads there as in many other countries. Bennett and nearly half of Israel have received three vaccinations.</p>
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Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will test for COVID-19 on Monday after having met Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem the previous day, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.</p>
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&quot;Upon learning of Prime Minister Bennett&#39;s positive test result, we determined that only Secretary Blinken is considered a close contact. He will follow all CDC guidance, including by masking and undergoing appropriate testing,&quot; spokesperson Ned Price said.</p>
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Mr Blinken will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, &ldquo;including by masking and undergoing appropriate testing,&rdquo; he added.</p>
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