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- In view of the rise in coronavirus infections, Israel wants to impose a nationwide lockdown with extensive restrictions on citizens.
- The measure will take effect on Friday.
- It should apply for three weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised speech on Sunday.
Among other things, citizens can only move a maximum of 500 meters from their apartments and houses. Schools and shopping centers would be closed. The public service will continue to operate on a limited basis. Pharmacies should remain open, restaurants and hotels, however, would be closed.
Chaotic politics of openness and communication: For journalist Inga Rogg, the Netanyahu government played its role in Israel being hit by a second wave of corona.
Keystone
In recent days, Israel has recorded more than 4,000 new confirmed infections, and that’s in a country that has roughly the same number of people as Switzerland. “That is the highest per capita figure in the world,” says Inga Rogg, who reports from Israel for NZZ.
Since Friday, many people in Israel celebrate the Jewish New Year. “Large gatherings should be avoided at these parties,” said the journalist.
Outrage among ultra-Orthodox
The cabinet voted Sunday night against opposition from some ministers to the drastic new exit restrictions. The strictly religious housing minister and former health minister Yaakov Litzman quickly announced his resignation.
This scandal results in long-running disputes in the cabinet, Rogg reports. In particular, between the ultra-Orthodox, whom Litzman represents, and the head responsible for Corona. “Litzman complained that a closure was decided before Jewish holidays of all places, when people flock to synagogues.”
Chaotic openness policy
The fact that the situation in Israel could get out of hand for Rogg is mainly due to the “chaotic reopening” after the first closure in spring: “Everything reopened overnight, although it was seen that the number of cases increased again. They are.”
A second blockade is imposed just before the Jewish New Year celebrations – for some ultra-Orthodox, this is a provocation.
Keystone
In addition, the government only appointed said Corona director in August, who assumed the technical direction of the Corona file. “Prime Minister Netanyahu was busy with other things and he set a bad example himself,” Rogg said.
After all, contact tracing, that is, tracing the chains of infection in the country, still does not work today. “And in view of this chaos, the willingness to abide by the regulations also decreased among the population.” With the result that Israel now closes the doors again.
