Israel’s government cabinet approved a complete shutdown of the country in a bid to stop the skyrocketing spread of COVID-19 — the novel coronavirus — including its newly-arrived UK variant, B.1.1.7.
This will be a real third lockdown, expected to last at least two weeks, beginning Thursday at midnight.
It will include the following restrictions, none of which are new to Israelis who hated them in the very first lockdown, months ago.
- All schools are to be closed, except those in the special education system.
- All non-essential commercial venues are to shut down.
- Restaurant takeaway is no longer allowed.
- Public bus lines in the transportation system will be reduced by 50 percent.
- Israelis are not permitted to enter anyone else’s home but their own.
- No one is allowed to travel more than one kilometer beyond their home for any reason other than to obtain food or medical care, and those essentials must be obtained in their local community.
- No gatherings are allowed: the maximum allowed is up to five people within an interior (closed) space, up to 10 people in an exterior (outside) space.
The UK variant (B.1.1.7) of COVID-19 has been traced to 30 initial cases in Israel — and those 30 cases infected 189 others, an average of six people infected by one individual carrier, or infected person.
“Every hour that we delay, the disease spreads even quicker, and it is exacting a heavy price,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during the meeting. “The hospitals are warning us that we are entering the most dangerous wave since the outbreak of the pandemic.”
“The Health Ministry and the experts are warning us that we are in a state of emergency and that if we do not act immediately we will lose many hundreds of Israelis – and even more – who will die.”
The cabinet decision now goes to the Knesset for ratification.