Cabinet weighing curfew for last days of Passover, Mimouna

A curfew is likely to be reimposed across Israel ahead of the last day of Passover and the Mimouna holiday the following day, as the government strives to prevent a further spread of the deadly coronavirus through social gatherings.

The cabinet is reportedly set to vote Monday on similar restrictions to the rules imposed at the beginning of the Passover holiday last week, with police roadblocks preventing intercity travel and only those employed in key industries permitted to go to work. The proposed travel ban will be applied from Tuesday 5 p.m until Sunday 6 a.m.

Channel 12 news reported the emergency procedures will also include a repeat of the harshest measure taken so far in the campaign against the virus, with Israelis prohibited to even leave their homes from Tuesday 5 p.m. until Thursday morning. A similar restriction was introduced over the first day of the holiday last week. However, Channel 13 reported that it has not yet been decided if there will only be a call on the public to comply with the restriction, or if stepping outside the home will be punishable.

On Wednesday night, at the end of the Passover holiday, there will increased enforcement to counter an expected crowding at bakeries and grocery stores as people rush to buy bread and unleavened goods that are traditionally not eaten during the week-long holiday.

The regulations will effectively cancel the Mimouna events, a North African Jewish tradition held each year to celebrate the end of Passover with large social gatherings, during which participants eat traditional honey-covered pancakes called mufletot and other sweets.

Arab communities will not be included in the restrictions, as was the case on the first day of Passover.

The decision to vote on the restrictions came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with ministers earlier in the day. Health Ministry officials are concerned that people will try and celebrate the last day of Passover and Mimouna outside of their nuclear families, reports said. The ministry is worried that the festive atmosphere will lead to a slackening of social distancing that has been a central plank in the country’s strategy for curbing the virus spread.

“Netanyahu is not hurrying, and is acting with caution. The second festival [the last days of Passover] and Mimouna will be a big test for the public,” a senior official told Channel 12. “The feeling is that the public is a little euphoric that it [coronavirus] is behind us, but there will be no return to normal if there is a relaxing of attitudes.”

Israel is already under partial lockdown orders requiring all citizens to remain within 100 meters of their homes unless attending essential industries and jobs. Schools, leisure sites and most stores have been shuttered. The public has been ordered to only leave home for essential needs and all public gatherings banned. Intercity travel is generally permitted provided the defined regulations are adhered to.

However, additional lockdown orders were applied Sunday to several Jerusalem neighborhoods with high coronavirus infection rates, with around 100 checkpoints set up around the capital to prevent travel to and from the restricted zones.

According to Health Ministry data, about 75 percent of the infections in Jerusalem have occurred in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, most of which are now locked down.

As of Monday afternoon, 113 people have died in Israel of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Health Ministry updated Israel’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases to 11,235, including 181 in serious condition and 133 people on ventilators. Another 168 people were in moderate condition, the ministry said, adding that 1,689 had recovered and that the rest were displaying mild symptoms. More than 7,000 of those diagnosed with the disease are being treated at home.