Govt. Extends COVID-19 Lockdown by 4 Days

Jerusalem, 1 October, 2020 (TPS) -- The government on Wednesday evening approved the extension of the country-wide lockdown until October 14, adding another four days.

The closure is expected to continue for a significant period and will probably be extended as the government has apparently lost control of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Israel.

The government also approved a prohibition on entering another person’s place of residence including a visit inside someone else’s Sukkah during the full closure. The government has imposed a fine of NIS 500 on those who violate this provision.

The seven-day holiday of Sukkot will begin on Friday night.

The ministers also approved a seven-day interim order according to which attending demonstration is permitted only in 1,000 meters from one’s place of residence.

In the meantime, the infection rate in Israel remained very high, despite several days of lockdown.

The Ministry of Health updated Wednesday night that the number of Corona patients in critical condition rose to 834, a new record since the outbreak in February. The number of patients on life support is 211.

Another 22 Israelis died from the virus in the past 24 hours, and the total number of deaths now stands at 1,569.

Some 7,040 people were diagnosed with the virus in the past day. 52,000 people were tested, and the positive rate stands at a high 13.5%.

To date, 245,494 Israelis have contracted the virus, of whom 174,506 have recovered.