Number of sick Israelis rises to 200 as government announces tough new measures

The number of Israelis diagnosed with coronavirus rose to 200 Sunday morning, as the government imposed new restrictive measures to curb the spread of the infection.

The Health Ministry said two of the sick remained in serious condition, with 11 in moderate condition and the rest suffering light symptoms only.

The Ynet news site reported that among the newly diagnosed on Friday was a security guard at Ben Gurion Airport, who has been in home quarantine for the past 10 days. Due to his sickness, over 80 airport personnel who had been in contact with him prior to his quarantine have also been sent to isolation at home.

Among the new cases were also a family of seven — parents and their five children — from the Jerusalem area who had been in contact with a confirmed carrier of the virus.

Meanwhile, nearly 40,000 Israelis were in home quarantine for fear of exposure to the virus, including nearly 1,000 doctors, more than 600 nurses, 170 paramedics, and 80 pharmacists, according to Health Ministry figures. Health officials have conducted over 6,800 coronavirus tests nationwide so far, according to the ministry.

The number of coronavirus cases worldwide passed 150,000 on Saturday, with 5,764 deaths, driven by a spike in infections in Italy, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.

The Health Ministry send out a message overnight Saturday clarifying the raft of new regulations announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to combat the spread of the coronavirus, including banning gatherings of more than ten people.

The message emphasized that all educational institutions would be shut down starting Sunday, regardless of the number of children per classroom, among them daycare centers — including home daycares — special education, youth movements and after-school programs.

It also said that, save for supermarkets and pharmacies, all malls would be closed. Restaurants and hotel dining rooms will also be shuttered — aside from those that provide takeout — along with bars, pubs and dance clubs.

It highlighted that the ban against congregating in groups larger than 10 extended to gatherings for religious activities — the minimum number of men for an Orthodox prayer quorum, or “minyan,” is 10 — and mandated that people participating in such activities maintain a distance of at least two meters from one another.

Police will be in charge of enforcing a closure of public places as well as any restrictions on travel, reports said.

Netanyahu and government officials announced the shutdown of all leisure businesses and activities throughout the country, with the premier pressing upon the public the need to “adopt a new way of life” for the coming weeks and possibly months as the country deals with the new coronavirus — and particularly underlining a guiding principle of individuals maintaining a distance of at least two meters from others at all times.

Sunday morning will see public life further diminished, with the closure of all cafes, restaurants, hotels, malls, movie theaters, gyms, event halls and the like. It was implied, though not specifically stated, that all nonessential shops would close. But Netanyahu stressed that supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and other essential service providers would continue to function.

“This is a battle for public health,” he said at a press conference from the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. “We are at war with an invisible enemy…We are adjusting as things develop. The situation is dynamic.” But, he said, “we can beat it.”

Comparing the situation several times to a state of war, the premier said it was imperative for Israelis to change gear and “adopt a new way of life” for the near future, noting that many Israelis appeared not to be heeding officials’ calls to avoid physical contact and displays of affection, but stressing that this was crucial for the nation to curb the spread of COVID-19.