Israel to Impose Curfew During Holiday Season

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel will likely begin enforcing a nightly curfew on Wednesday to control the country’s coronavirus cases ahead of the holiday season.

Israel's coronavirus cabinet approved the curfew on Monday and the government is expected to ratify the decision on Tuesday.

According to reports, the curfew will begin on Wednesday and extend through January 2. During the curfew, all commercial activity will be banned and Israelis will be prohibited from venturing beyond a certain distance from their homes. However, these restrictions will not infringe on the right to demonstrate.

Essential services will remain open during the nightly closure.

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The cabinet approved keeping malls, marketplaces, and schools open unless a lockdown is imposed at a future date. Limited activity will now be permitted at museums and cultural venues.

On Monday, Israel recorded its highest number of daily coronavirus infections in nearly two months. Of the 65,523 tests conducted on Monday, 2.8% came back positive. That means there were some 1,800 new cases on Monday.

Israel imposed its second nationwide lockdown in September. The government began gradually lifting restrictions in October, but leaders have threatened to bring back restrictions if cases rise.

Since the pandemic began, some 347,000 people have been infected with the virus. About 2,900 people have died.

Israel is working hard to acquire as many coronavirus vaccines as it can. The Jerusalem Post reports that the first shipment of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine is expected to arrive in the coming days, although the exact date is unknown.

The first shipment will have about 110,000 doses.

Israel purchased eight million doses from Pfizer, enough to vaccinate 4 million people. Israel has also signed a deal with Moderna to receive six million doses of its vaccine.