![‘IF MR. [Avigdor] Liberman decides I won’t be there, I won’t be there.’](https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/q_auto/c_fill,g_faces:center,h_720,w_1280/480476 "‘IF MR. [Avigdor] Liberman decides I won’t be there, I won’t be there.’")
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said Wednesday he is strongly against imposing additional coronavirus restrictions.
"We need to stop talking about new limitations and let the economy work," he told a press briefing.
"When we look at the morbidity situation, the numbers have stabilized and there is reason for optimism," Liberman said. "New restrictions were imposed in recent days, and we'll have to wait another ten days to know if they are working or not."
Therefore, there is no need to add restrictions on large gatherings or for public pools and outdoor restaurant seating.
"The economy is recovering faster than expected," Liberman said. "Any further restrictions will only harm the recovery."
Liberman added that canceling unpaid leave (Halat) benefits for people under age 45 is contributing significantly to the recovery, saving the economy some NIS 800 million per month.
Liberman said that NIS 300 million has been budgeted to provide rapid coronavirus tests for children under 12 for free, and another NIS 66 million was set aside for testing in schools. A budget of NIS 500 million has been allocated for PCR tests in July and August, he said.