The government approved the details of Israel’s third coronavirus lockdown on Friday afternoon.
The closure begins Sunday at 5 p.m. and will last until January 9, 2021 - 14 days. However, health officials warned on Thursday that unless the number of daily cases drops to 1,000 or fewer and the reproduction rate hits one or less, the lockdown will continue.
The reproduction rate is the number of people a sick person infects.
On Friday, the Health Ministry reported that the country successfully processed over 100 thousand coronavirus tests in a single day on Thursday.The Ministry reported that out of 102,596 tests which were processed on Thursday, 4,046 of which returned positive results, resulting in a 4% positivity rate.The amount of active coronavirus patients in the country rose to 33,338. 917 Israelis are currently hospitalized, 527 of whom are classified as being in serious condition - 133 are intubated.The death toll on Thursday rose by 14 to a total of 3,186, since the pandemic began, including 5 which were added on Friday,
On Thursday, the reproduction rate was 1.26, according to Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy. It was 1.7 among the ultra-Orthodox community.
“I do not believe that two weeks will be enough [to stop the spread of the virus],” coronavirus commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash said in an interview with the Hebrew website Ynet on Thursday.
The details of the lockdown were released with the government’s approval:
Travel is permitted no more than 1,000 meters away from home, except for approved reasons. These include getting vaccinated, obtaining medical care, attending a demonstration or legal proceedings, participating in an individual sport (though one cannot drive to do it).
In addition, minors can be transferred between divorced parents and weddings and funerals can be attended according to Health Ministry regulations.
Furthermore, the government approved that people are not allowed to be in each other’s homes.
Anyone who breaks these regulations is subject to an NIS 500 fine.
The lockdown also shutters businesses and leisure activities.
All stores will be closed except those that sell essential services: food, hygiene products, optics, pharmaceuticals, electrical appliances, and home repair supplies. In contrast to what was originally assumed, no one-on-one services, or alternative medical services will be allowed. This includes the shuttering of hair salons and beauty parlors,
Bed and breakfasts, zoos and nature reserves, national parks and memorial sites will also be shut down.
While restaurants can deliver, takeaway is not allowed.
Neither are driving lessons or any organized excursions.
When it comes to education, some schools will be allowed to operate.
Preschoolers and children in grades 1-4 will continue to go to school as usual, including afterschool programs. Special needs programs and schools for kids-at-risk will also continue as usual.
Students in grades 11-12 will also go to school, but they will learn in capsules and their teachers will only be allowed to teach in up to four capsules, too.
Those students in grades 5-10 will move to distance learning.
Workplaces will once again move to working from home or putting staff on furlough. Only 50% of staff in companies with more than 10 employees may come to work at a time. In smaller companies, all 10 may be there together - so long as the business is not customer-facing.
The “green island” program that allowed Israelis to travel to Eilat or the Dead Sea resort area will cease on Monday.
There are some things that people will be able to do. For example, professional athletes can train in their gyms. Women can also dip in the mikvah ritual bath. People can still leave the country. They can travel to the airport up to eight hours before their flight.
All of the ministers voted in favor of the closure, except for Likud Minister Ofir Akunis, who said he was opposed to lockdown and therefore did not participate in the vote. Likewise, Economy Minister Amir Peretz abstained after his request that non-essential products not be allowed to be sold in stores that also sell essential products, and that those stores that did not already sell essential products before the lockdown not be allowed to sell them, was turned down.