Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 68, was taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Karem and ordered to undergo medical tests Tuesday.
According to a statement from his office, Netanyahu was suffering from a cough and a high fever.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the prime minister worked from home for six days earlier in March with strep throat and a fever, and his personal physician believes that symptoms have re-emerged because he did not allot enough time for rest and recovery.
Netanyahu’s spokesman David Baker confirmed that assessment via text message. “The prime minister did not complete the time required in order to recover from the illness he had two weeks ago and therefore the symptoms have gotten worse.”
Reports indicate that Netanyahu did not require an ambulance and was transported to the hospital in his normal vehicle. He is undergoing tests, and physicians have yet to determine whether he will be kept in the hospital overnight for continued observation. So far, the hospital appears to have confirmed a recurrence of the throat infection that kept the prime minister at home earlier this month, although pneumonia has also been mentioned as a possibility.
Netanyahu’s office has taken the precaution of stating that Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman will manage Wednesday’s cabinet meeting if he is unable to attend.