Preschools through fourth grade have been allowed to open.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated: DECEMBER 20, 2020 09:26Israeli children wearing face masks make their way to school in Tzfat on their first day back to classes on November 1, 2020(photo credit: DAVID COHEN/FLASH 90)
Some 220,000 fifth to 12th grade students in red and orange cities will not return to school this morning after the Hanukkah holiday.Preschools through fourth grade have been allowed to open.The coronavirus cabinet is meeting Sunday morning to discuss a further tightening of restrictions across Israel as numbers continue to rise. The Health Ministry announced on Sunday morning a further 1,866 new cases on Saturday, with 447 of those in serious condition. The death toll is 3,074.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein have stated their support for a decision made earlier this month that if cases surpass 2,500 per day, a period of “tightened restraint” would be rolled out.However, many government ministers object and think different measures should be taken, rather than sweeping steps.The National Security Council is expected to recommend to cabinet ministers today that a general lockdown be implemented throughout the country, skipping the slower phase of tightened restrictions.The coronavirus cabinet on Thursday night approved an updated list of areas that have become red and orange, and the Home Front Command updated its map accordingly, designating 48 red areas and 62 orange.Not all red and orange areas are full cities, some are areas or neighborhoods of towns and cities. Maayan-Jaffe Hoffman contributed to this report.
