Party like it’s 2019: Maskless revelers in Tel Aviv shun social distancing rules
Despite rising infections in city, numerous mass gatherings held over the weekend in apparent violation of restrictions
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Several parties were reportedly held in Tel Aviv over the weekend in apparent violation of coronavirus restrictions on mass gatherings.
On Friday, dozens of people attended a street party on Levinsky Street in south Tel Aviv, with few people wearing masks or maintaining social distancing rules.
The Kan public broadcaster noted that a police station was nearby, but officers didn’t intervene. Police later said they were looking into the matter and urged the populace to follow Health Ministry guidelines.
“This was a spontaneous gathering. Since the second lockdown was lifted, we’ve been staying home on Fridays,” an unnamed partygoer told Kan. “Police officers passed by but didn’t disperse the gathering… the party went on.”
תיעוד: מסיבת רחוב בניגוד להנחיות בהשתתפות עשרות התקיימה אתמול ברחוב לוינסקי בת״א. לא רחוק מהמקום, ברחוב סלמה ממוקמת משטרת מחוז ת״א ותחנת יפתח. מהמשטרה טרם התקבלה תגובה@daniel_elazar pic.twitter.com/5WDY89AExf
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) December 5, 2020
Under coronavirus restrictions, outdoor gatherings are capped at 20 people and those indoors at 10.
Several other parties each attended by a few hundred people were also held in Tel Aviv over the weekend, according to Channel 12 news.
“There were parties of 200-300 people this week, even 400 people,” an unnamed reveler told the network, adding the parties were organized and had bartenders, security guards and DJs.
Separately, Channel 13 news broadcast images of crowds in downtown Haifa over the weekend, with few people donning masks or social distancing.
עוד תמונות מחיפה הלילה , העיר התחתית. טוב שלא סגרו את התת קרקעי ברמב״ם ???? pic.twitter.com/KDatBpfgLF
— Eli Levi (@10elilevi) December 4, 2020
The partying came as new coronavirus cases are back on the rise, with the Health Ministry on Sunday downgrading Tel Aviv from a “green” to a “yellow” city due to an increase in infections there.
The Times of Israel Community.