Israel's coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu apologizes on Monday for his comments against prominent ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky.
Kanievsky was reported to tell ultra-Orthodox students not to get tested for the coronavirus, prompting a rebuke from Gamzu who warned he was endangering public health.
"I regret the misunderstanding as a result of the biased publication of the remarks of Rabbi Kanievsky, who I respect and admire, and take back what I said," Gamzu said.
"I checked it and it seems Rabbi Kanievsky never gave an instruction not to get checked, but was rather a decision that was based on the opinion of several rabbis for specific cases of yeshiva students in closed capsules who had already taken coronavirus tests, in accordance with policies that were set in advance," he added.