Beaches, pools to open Sunday, trains to open following week
In another round of the loosening of restrictions which will go into effect next week, it seems that entrance to pools and beaches for sport and treatment will be permitted.
By MOSHE COHEN/MAARIV, ANA BERSKY/MAARIVPeople walking on the beach in Tel Aviv during Independence Day (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
As part of the continued easing of coronavirus restrictions to be presented to the government for approval, it seems as though from Sunday and on, beaches will reopen for sports such as swimming and surfing, while public pools will reopen for professional sport and treatment alone.Channel 13 reports that sport clubs will be permitted to reopen, as well.According to the report, the social distancing rules will stay intact and sitting at the beach will not be permitted.As such, it seems as though on Sunday, the opening of malls and gyms will be presented as an offer to the government, but will only be implemented the following week.Parks and national parks will stay closed for now, while the Israel Railway is expected to gradually reopen.The first stage of the plan is expected to be implemented on May 17, which is when all lines will return to working order with the exception of the line running between Tel Aviv Central Station and Hertzliya, where the platform for electric trains is being installed.The implementation, which will allow a train to run directly from Jerusalem through Tel Aviv to Hertzliya, is scheduled to be implemented on June 1.In addition, it seems as though the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem will be opened. Employees of the market have previously protested about its closure, calling it hypocritical in light of IKEA being permitted to reopen.Stations of the market will seemingly be separated using translucent separators and shoppers will have their temperatures taken at the entrance to the marketplace by inspectors. Two meter stripes will be marked on the ground between booths.As part of the government instructions which allow the increase of the number of people permitted to leave home to work, Transport Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved on Thursday the recommendation of the National Public Transport Authority to return public transport after 8 p.m. each evening. This will be implemented from May 5 and on. Public transportation will still be shut from Thursdays at night until the following Sundays at 5 a.m.
Several lines have returned throughout the country to more consistent activity, after which the country saw a 20% increase in public transportation usage. However, this is still a fraction of the number of people who would travel by public transportation in contrast to before the coronavirus crisis.This article was translated by Tamar Beeri from Maariv, the sister publication of The Jerusalem Post.
