Over the course of the 27-hour enforced lockdown on Israelis during Yom Ha’Atzmaut to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus, police issued 1,091 tickets for countermanding the regulations set forth by the Health Ministry of for people breaking the lockdown.

Police advertised where they would be setting up roadblocks across the country to encourage motorists and would-be-party-goers to stay home.

Of the 1,091 tickets issued to people for entering into the public sphere against regulations, 137 of them were given to citizens who were in a prohibited area and 122 were given to citizens who were not wearing a mask.

According to the new rules that have begun to be enforced, anyone over the age of seven not wearing a mask can be fined for not doing so. People who suffer disabilities that prohibit them from wearing one, or make it difficult for them to wear one are also excluded. The fine dolled out for the infraction is 200 NIS and can be give without a warning. It is important to note that a person does not have to wear a mask while exercising.

Also of note is that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has issued a special directive that will allow Charedi Yeshivas and dormitories to open beginning tomorrow. The reason behind this directive is that the children are at greater risk in the neighborhoods, cramped houses, ad close quarters, in which they live than they would be at school.

The Yeshivas will now operate in a method that will have very small groups learning together and will have no interaction with the outside. Health Ministry supervision will be given to the schools in order to make sure that they are complying with the specifics of the directive and further intervention may come should schools not keep the specified regulations.

Additionally, on Wednesday, for the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, the number of those who have recovered from the virus is greater than the number of people who are currently ill. There are 7,929 people who have recovered from the disease and only 7,641 people who are still ill. The number of ill people is continuing to drop at a rate of close to 400 people per day.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)