JERUSALEM, Feb 23 — Nearly 200 Israeli pupils were ordered to begin a two-week quarantine from Sunday after having come into contact with South Korean tourists who contracted the coronavirus, the education ministry said.

South Korean members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus toured Israeli sites between February 8-15 and upon their return home 18 of them were discovered to be infected with the virus.

Israel’s health ministry urged people who might have encountered them to self-quarantine, including 180 pupils and 19 staff from three separate schools who it said had close contact with the South Korean visitors.

The pupils and staff, including 18 teachers and a guard, were ordered "to remain home” for 14 days, the education ministry said.

Israel on Friday confirmed its first case of the virus in one of its nationals who had flown home from Japan after being quarantined on the stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess.

On Saturday Israel refused to allow some 200 non-Israelis to disembark from a plane which arrived from South Korea, as part of measures against the new coronavirus. — AFP