Israel has become the first country in the world to announce a second national coronavirus lockdown in response to a soaring infection and death rate.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed the decision in a news conference declaring that the lockdown will last for three weeks and come into effect at 2pm on Friday, 19th September, coinciding with a major Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashana.
Mr Netanyahu said, “I know these steps are a heavy price for us all.
“These are not the holidays we are used to. We certainly won’t be able to celebrate with our extended families.
“If we keep the rules, and I am confident in this, we will defeat the virus. I see the vaccine on the way, and I see the fast testing that is on the way.”
Israel currently has one of the worst coronavirus infection rates in the world per capita, with 37,482 active cases. Some 2,715 people tested positive on the 12th of September, as the country hit a record high of 513 patients in a serious condition, of which 139 are intubated.
At least 1,108 people have died. Israel is a small country with a population of just under nine million.
During the three-week period, all restaurants, shops and recreational facilities will be closed. Schools will also be closed and the public will not be allowed more than 500 metres from their home.
Supermarkets, pharmacies and other essential providers will be allowed to open and restaurants will be permitted to offer takeaway and delivery services.
Many ministers opposed another lockdown especially because of economic concerns. Both the science minister and economy minister warned that the economic damage will be so severe the country may not recover.
Finance Minister Israel Katz blamed the health ministry for failures in containing the outbreak and warned of hundreds of thousands of job losses.
Another minister, Yucal Steinitz, said, “It is nice that you are raising the red flag now, when hospitals are getting full, but you had to raise that red flag a month or two ago.“
“A full closure of the entire country during the holidays is too extreme a step and has economic implications that entire industries will not recover from,” Tourism minister Asaf Zamir added.
A report by the Israel Coronavirus Information Centre, published on Sunday 14th September, said that the country’s hospitals were edging closer to maximum capacity – though doctors at some of the nation’s hospitals disputed this.
A series of Jewish holidays throughout September and October have raised concerns that the infection rate could rise further.
The government’s coronavirus commissioner, Ronni Gamzu, has been calling for the lockdown for several weeks.
“The state of sickness in Israel is among the worst and most complicated in the world,” he warned
In the West Bank, which is administered in part by the Palestinian Authority, there are 9,845 active cases. No lockdown decisions have been made.
In Gaza, administered by the Palestinian faction Hamas, there are 1,588 active cases and 15 deaths, which represents an exponential rise.
