Bedouin town holds large funeral in violation of virus restrictions

Dozens of people attended a funeral in the northern Arab Israeli town of Isfiya yesterday, violating public health orders aimed at curbing an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in the country, Channel 12 news reports.

Under current lockdown orders against public gatherings Israel allows up to 20 people to attend a funeral, provided they maintain a distance of at least 2 meters (6.5 feet) between each other. The incident in Isfiya, a predominantly Bedouin town, comes amid concerns that the highly contagious virus is gaining momentum in some Arab Israeli communities.

Screen capture from video of a funeral in the Arab Israeli town of Isfiya, April 15, 2020. (Channel 12 news)

In video from the event many dozens of people can be seen joining the procession for the burial of a local woman. Though almost all participants are wearing face masks, they were not seen maintaining the social distancing orders.

There are no police seen at the funeral or attempting to enforce restrictions, according to the report.

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