Israelis Wake Up to Confusion As More Restrictions Set to Kick In

Israelis woke up on Friday to another pending set of restrictions in Israel’s latest attempt to walk back the spike in coronavirus cases. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the cabinet to decide on interim steps to prevent a general lockdown “in light of the sharp increase in the morbidity of the coronavirus," a joint statement from his office and the Health Ministry said.

There are two new sets of regulations effective 5:00 PM local time on Friday. 

Seven days a week, gyms and exercise and dance studios are closed, restaurants are open only for take-away and delivery, and restaurants in hotels can only seat up to 35 percent of the maximum allowed number.

For the weekend only, beaches – except this weekend – stores, malls, open-air markets, pools, tourist attractions, museums and petting zoos are among those things that will be closed on the weekends. However, there are no restrictions on leaving one’s home as were imposed earlier.

Ahead of the cabinet meeting Netanyahu said he’s giving government ministers until this coming Thursday to each submit a plan for their ministry’s “safe opening up of the economy.”

“It is a week. I am asking you to get organized because our goal is to flatten the curve, to gain control and to affect a safe exit from this phase, from this wave,” Netanyahu said prior to meeting with the cabinet on Thursday evening.

According to the Health Ministry, there were 1,832 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and three more deaths.

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Earlier this week, Netanyahu promised a financial stimulus to every Israeli citizen. That in the wake of increasing public protests over high unemployment and the economy.

"We are making every effort to avoid a general lockdown. We are working at the coronavirus's pace. We do not have many choices; it is not a normal situation,” Netanyahu said on Thursday. “The disease is changing speed and we must change together with it.”

Netanyahu said the steps they are recommending are primarily aimed at stopping people from gathering together – “to prevent gatherings in closed spaces of over 10 people and of over 20 in open spaces.” The alternative, he said, is to take “much harsher steps.”

He also encouraged cabinet members to stand together once decisions are made.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense, headed by Defense Minister and alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz said it’s trying to increase the number of tests per day three-fold to 30,000 and shorten the time it takes to get results.

The Israel Defense Forces also released a statement saying it had called up about 1,000 reservists to help in the nationwide battle against the coronavirus.

Among the ways the IDF is assisting the public is helping to man 19 quarantine hotels, operating a calling center, and launching a pilot project to promote awareness of the virus within an ultra-Orthodox community. Many of those communities have been hard hit by the virus.

They’re also reinforcing about 25 hospitals by providing logistics assistance.

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