Ministers expected to approve 2 local lockdowns in virus-hit northern areas
As ministers vote to open shops despite objections from health officials, multiple northern towns welcome local lockdown measures on their communities
Israeli ministers are expected to convene Friday afternoon and approve local lockdown measures on two northern communities due to high coronavirus infection rates.
The areas expected to be declared “restricted zones” are the Druze town of Buq’ata in the Golan Heights and an ultra-Orthodox part of Hazor Haglilit, according to Hebrew-language media.
According to the Health Ministry, the two locales currently have some of the highest case rates per capita in Israel
The lockdown on Buq’ata will reportedly begin Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. and will last five days, while Hazor Haglilit will be locked down beginning Sunday at 4 p.m. and will last five days, according to Walla news.
Leaders of both communities support the lockdown measures, but officials in Hazor Haglilit asked to postpone the measures on their community in order to give its ultra-Orthodox residents time to prepare after Shabbat.
After the lockdown begins, entry and exit to both communities will be severely restricted with all residents being permitted to leave their homes only for essential services like buying food or medicine. All schools and extra-curricular activities will be closed except for children up to age 6.
“Taking this path is preferable at this time to the alternative of tightening restrictions on the whole country, as has been done in the past,” the Health Ministry said.
On Thursday, ministers approved enforcing lockdown measures on the Druze town of Mas’ade in the Golan Heights and extended restrictions on the Druze town of Majdal Shams.
During a visit to Mas’ade, which entered lockdown Friday, Israel’s outgoing coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu praised local officials for their attempts to lower infection rates, but called for more testing and warned against large gatherings.
Israel sharply brought down its daily coronavirus infection rates from some 8,000 in mid-September to several hundred by late October with a nationwide lockdown, which it began to gradually ease last month.
On Wednesday ministers voted to allow stores to reopen at the beginning of next week, over the objections of health officials who have urged a slow and gradual reopening of the economy, schools and more.
Stores will open for business on Sunday, with a maximum of four customers allowed in at a time, and in compliance with coronavirus regulations.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Gamzu both pushed back against easing the restrictions due to the basic reproduction number, or the rate of new cases stemming from each coronavirus infection.
Gamzu warned that Israel’s infection reproduction was at 0.88, and over 1 in Arab locales, well over the 0.8 level decided on by the cabinet as the maximum level required to reopen businesses.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was also reportedly reluctant to okay the openings, warned that the government could snap back some restrictions if numbers continued to mount.
There were 560 new virus cases diagnosed in 24 hours, according to Health Ministry figures released Friday morning. That followed 754 cases on Wednesday, 841 cases on Tuesday, and 784 on Monday.
Of the 8,984 active virus patients, 329 are in serious condition, with 149 on ventilators. There are 102 in moderate condition and the rest have mild or no symptoms.
The death toll stood at 2,642.
The Times of Israel Community.