Photo Credit: Yonatan Sindel / Flash 90
MDA employee arrives with a test kit to test a patient with symptoms of the coronavirus in Jerusalem, March 16, 2020.

Israeli officials met for a marathon seven hours on Monday but still came to no final conclusion on whether to approve a set of drastic guidelines aimed at further tightening the lockdown already imposed on most Israelis.

The number of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the Jewish State had jumped by 377 from Sunday to a total of 1,442 cases by Monday evening, with 29 critically ill patients. There were 41 seriously ill patients as well.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, however, instructed Israel Police to intensify enforcement of the existing measures.

Meanwhile, the more drastic restrictions that have yet to be approved include an order to halt all public transportation for a seven-day period.

Although banks and other essential services will remain open, Israelis will be asked to remain in their homes for seven days, and will face serious penalties if they do not comply.

Many have been seen in the parks and on the beaches, ignoring the Health Ministry guidelines, despite calls by community leaders and government officials, urging Israelis to cooperate with the instructions that are there to protect the entire population.


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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.