There are 16,193 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Israel as of Sunday, which is only 41 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours. A total of 103 are in serious condition, of whom 82 are ventilated.

A total of 9,634 Israelis have recovered from the virus which means that there are currently only 6,363 active cases of the virus in Israel.

Israel recorded its 230th death on Sunday after an 86-year-old resident of the Yokra nursing home in Yavne’el passed away overnight Motzei Shabbos, the 22nd fatality from the facility.

Israel’s first through third graders and 11th and 12th graders in the state school (mamlachti) system returned to their classrooms on Sunday after seven weeks of long-distance learning due to the lockdown.

However many cities did not re-open schools on Sunday, stating that they did not have adequate time to prepare since the Knesset vote on Friday, including Ashdod, Beer Sheva, Haifa, Herzliya, Netanya, Ramat Gan, Rishon L’Tzion, Tel Aviv, Rechovot, Akko, Ashkelon, Tzefat, Karmiel, Kiryat Malachi, Kiryat Gat and parts of Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh.

Israeli universities may reopen this week in a limited format, with small groups of up to 15 students in classes that cannot be held online, such as labs and hands-on workshops. However, most higher education will continue with remote learning for the time being.

The Knesset will make a decision soon about when 4th to 10th graders will begin school with all grades required to return to school by the end of May, with kindergartens and preschools set to begin next Sunday.

Arab communities in Israel have announced that they are not opening their schools at all this week. Since the spread of the virus reached the Arab sector at a later stage than Jewish communities it is safer to continue restrictions for the time being.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)