An employee at a kiosk in Kiryat Bialik was stabbed by a male customer in his 30s after asking him to wear his mask.
The police arrested the suspected local resident yesterday, after initially opening the investigation two days ago.
The suspect entered the kiosk without a mask on his face and the employee at the scene approached him and asked him to wear a mask. In response, the suspect stabbed the employee in the hand, lightly wounding him.
As health officials and researchers warn of mass infection chaos in the coming month, the Health Ministry passed preventative measures such as mandatory masks outdoors and the approval to administer the fourth vaccine for those with a compromised immune system.
On Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll tested positive for COVID-19, days after he was documented celebrating New Year’s at a crowded party without a mask. Broad criticism was directed at Roll, both from coalition and opposition members, despite his defense that the party was “held according to coronavirus restrictions and all participants were required to present a negative COVID-19 test from the day of the event.”
On Wednesday, Israel broke the record of new cases detected in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic with 11,978 new virus carriers and 125 serious cases.
Tsvi Joffre, Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.