Coronavirus: Israel becomes the first national decision of new quarantine

In Israel, where the number of coronavirus cases has increased, it has been decided to apply a 3-week quarantine from Friday.

Israel thus became the first country to reintroduce quarantine measures across the country.

“I know these measures will have a great impact on all of us,” Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

Citizens may not leave their homes more than 500 meters within the framework of the measures. A maximum of 10 people can meet in closed areas and 20 people in open areas.

During the quarantine, vital places like markets and pharmacies will remain open, while shopping centers will remain closed.

Schools will be closed. Public institutions will continue their activities with a reduced number of employees and private sector workplaces will be open on the condition that they do not accept clients.

Places of worship will also be closed due to these measures taken ahead of Yom Kippur, the most important religious holiday for Jews, which will begin on September 27.

“We are not used to celebrating the holiday in this way, but it is not possible for us to meet our relatives,” Netanyahu said in his televised speech.

Yaakov Litzman, the Israeli settlement minister and leader of the United Torah Party, which represents ultra-Orthodox Jews, declared that restoring the restrictions would prevent Yom Kippur from taking place and resigned to protest the decision.

The Israeli Finance Ministry announced that the quarantine would cost the economy of the country that went into recession before the epidemic $ 1.88 billion.

Criticized for not being able to handle the Covid-19 epidemic well, Netanyahu reported that he has tasked the Finance Minister with preparing a new support package for companies.

With the easing of measures in Israel, coronavirus cases have risen and the daily number of cases reached 4,000 last week.

2715 new cases were reported on Saturday. Since the epidemic began, 1,108 people have died in the country.