Cabinet forgets to renew lockdown of Israel’s worst virus hotspot – report

The cabinet reportedly forgot Monday to renew its lockdown over the Bedouin town of Hura near Beersheba, which suffers from the second-highest coronavirus infection rate in the country, and as a result the measure expired at midnight.

There have been 123 confirmed cases among Hura’s population of 16,983, according to the Health Ministry’s Tuesday figures, including 20 added over the last three days. The number of infections there has tripled over the last week — the highest growth rate in Israel.

The failure during the nine-hour cabinet meeting on reopening the economy to extend the lockdown, which was originally imposed on April 30, was reported by Channel 12, which cited a senior member of the Hura local council.

It came despite the Health Ministry, the Israel Police and the head of the Hura local council all having asked for the closure to be extended for two weeks.

The outbreak in the town, which puts Israel’s entire southern Negev desert region in potential danger, was reportedly caused by a mass wedding held there in violation of government-issued orders aimed at stemming the spread of the virus.

But it has now returned to its normal state, with residents free to resume their normal activities and police lacking authority to take enforcement measures.

“This is the the most concerning infection center in Israel right now,” Channel 12 quoted an unnamed Health Ministry official as saying.

The official said the ministry has information about residents traveling to other nearby Bedouin communities, highlighting the importance of continuing the lockdown.

The official added that the government was missing information on the outbreak in Hura because many local residents are avoiding coming to get tested for the virus due to a cultural belief that having the illness is a cause for embarrassment.