Israel is set to impose its third nationwide lockdown since the start of the pandemic.
The lockdown aimed at tackling the COVID-19 resurgence will begin at 5 p.m. and last for at least two weeks, though health officials have indicated it would likely be extended to a month.
The closure comes as daily coronavirus cases climbed steeply upward, surpassing 3,000 a day, amid fears that a British variant of the disease could be spreading undetected in the country.
Israelis, wearing protective masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shop in the central market of Israel’s coastal city of Netanya on December 27, 2020, ahead of a thrid lockdown. (JACK GUEZ / AFP)
The lockdown rules will bar Israelis from entering another person’s home; restrict movement to 1 kilometer from home, with exceptions, such as for vaccinations; shut down commerce, leisure and entertainment (except for essentials); limit public transportation to 50% capacity; and limit workplaces that do not deal with customers face-to-face to 50% capacity.
Fines for those breaking rules stand at NIS 500 ($155).
After the Knesset Education Committee rejected government regulations that would have kept students in grades 5-10 at home for remote learning, all schools are set to remain open throughout the lockdown.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 27, 2020
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
