Exactly one week before upcoming legislative elections set for March 2, there are fears in Israel that the coronavirus scare could disrupt voting.

Contrary to prior reassuring assessments that diagnoses in the country were limited to Israeli nationals returning from a cruise, it now seems that the virus may also have been spread by Korean pilgrims who crisscrossed the country some two weeks ago. Authorities in Seoul reported on Feb. 22 that nine South Korean tourists who had recently returned from Israel tested positive for the virus. The group visited hotels, churches and numerous tourist attractions.

Following these revelations, Israeli health authorities entered into emergency mode. The Ministry of Health issued warnings and banned foreign travelers coming from South Korea and Japan. Some 200 nationals who returned from Asian countries such as China, Japan, Thailand and South Korea are currently under quarantine, and the Israeli public has started to panic.

Why it matters: There is concern that fake news about the virus may spread to lower voting rates in specific areas and thus impact the election. Also, quarantined citizens would be unable to reach polling locations. Authorities are now considering different options to enable them to vote, including putting up quarantined voting stations.