The government announces a new pilot program in a predominantly ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of the capital bringing together various welfare and medical services for residents of the area affected by the coronavirus.
The program — dubbed “Security and Welfare” — was created by the Defense Ministry, Welfare Ministry and Jerusalem Municipality and will be tried out in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem with 180 to 200 families that have at least one member who is sick with the disease.
“An emphasis will be put on those known to welfare services and elderly residents who do not have family,” the Defense Ministry says in a statement.
“The goal of the project is to give these families assistance and a framework of food, medical counseling, as well as ensuring quarantine directives are kept, transfers to [coronavirus] hotels, and giving specialized assistance,” the ministry says.
This pilot program will be run by a number of “project managers” who will be trained by the IDF Home Front Command and the Jerusalem Municipality.
The program, which has a budget of NIS 220,000 ($64,000), will run for two weeks and then be assessed. If it passes its initial assessment, it will then run for another two weeks, at which point the Defense Ministry will determine if it serves as a model for additional programs in other areas, the ministry says.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 20, 2020
