Israeli border guards man a checkpoint near Jerusalem, wearing protective gear in response to the spread of COVID-19 (Credit: Ronen Zevulun, Reuters)
The Israeli government announced the mandatory closure of all non-essential businesses and services throughout the country this evening, effective on Sunday morning, in an effort to blunt the spread of the Coronavirus. Public restaurants, cafes, theaters, malls, gymnasiums and other places of public gathering will be shuttered as Israel enters its work-week tomorrow, while food markets, pharmacies and banks will be allowed to remain open.
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu met with senior cabinet leaders “around the clock” on Saturday, including Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, Economy and Industry Minister Eli Cohen and other senior officials. Netanyahu advised that his transitional government is “investing considerable means right now to increase the pace of testing, to reduce the infection rate and – of course – to reinforce, strengthen and safeguard the medical teams” in Israel. He encouraged Israeli citizens to avoid panic in a tweet, stating, "you have no reason to storm supermarkets. There will be enough food in general and for the [Passover] holiday. Have a good Shabbat, with much health.”
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The new measures come just 3 days after Israel restricted travelers arriving in Israel, requiring that they remain in isolation for a 14-day period. So far, Israel has reported over 100 confirmed cases of Coronavirus inside its borders, while the Palestinian Authority has reported almost 40 cases in the West Bank. Netanyahu’s government has been decisive and proactive in addressing the threat of COVID-19, calling it the “worst pandemic in a century”.
Meanwhile, Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Ofir Akunis congratulated the MIGAL research institute this week on its development of a Coronavirus vaccine. “Congratulations to MIGAL on this exciting breakthrough,” Akunis said. “I am confident there will be further rapid progress, enabling us to provide a needed response to the grave global COVID-19 threat.” MIGAL is located in the Galilee region.
