Ministers to rule on locking down 8 cities, Haredi parts of Jerusalem

Ministers will rule today on enforcing a tighter closure over eight cities and 15 ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem to stem the coronavirus outbreak.

The cities are: Tiberias, Elad, Migdal Haemek, Beitar Illit, Ashkelon, Or Yehuda, Modiin Illit, and parts of Beit Shemesh.

The Jerusalem neighborhoods that are to be sealed include Har Nof, Bayit Vegan, Givat Mordechai, Ramat Shlomo, Sanhedria, Shmuel HaNavi, Beit Yisrael, Mea Shearim, Geula, Bucharim, Zichron Moshe, Ramot, Makor Baruch, Givat Shaul, and Kiryat Moshe,

It remains unclear what the new guidelines will be, though they will likely include a broader military presence to enforce the restrictions. Israelis are already banned from venturing more than 100 meters from their homes, with exceptions made for work and purchasing essential supplies.

The restrictions would be less severe than those currently in place in Bnei Brak, with the Ynet news site terming them a “breathing closure.”