There are 17,253 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Israel, an increase of well over 100 new cases in the past 24 hours. The spike of new virus cases in Israel is continuing with more new cases in the past week than in the three previous weeks.

A total of 14,929 patients have recovered and the number of active cases has risen to 2,035, with 32 patients in serious condition, of whom 30 are ventilated.

Four new deaths were recorded on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 289, including Hagaon Harav Ozer Drori, z’tl, of Bnei Brak.

Health Ministry Deputy Director-General Itamar Grotto said on Monday that if there are more than 100 new coronavirus cases in one day unrelated to the same outbreak, the government will have to reimpose restrictions. Grotto was referring to the outbreak at the Hebrew Gymnasium high school in Jerusalem where there were close to 200 cases among students and staff.

The health ministry, which decided last month to increase the number of people allowed at gatherings in open areas to 100 participants on June 1st decided to cancel the change in light of the spike in cases and gatherings will continue to be limited to 50 people.

Will Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu be entering quarantine for the third time? His office said on Monday that an employee of the prime minister’s office tested positive for the virus. The health ministry is carrying out an epidemiological investigation to determine if the prime minister must enter quarantine.

Netanyahu has already been in quarantine twice, once in March after his aide was diagnosed with the virus and once in April after then-health minister Yaakov Litzman tested positive for the virus.

Last Thursday, a patient underwent an elective operation in Assuta Medical Center in north Tel Aviv and was released from the hospital when it was over. On Friday, the patient returned to the hospital complaining of a fever and was tested for the coronavirus, which came back positive. The patient had not been tested for the virus prior to the operation due to the cancellation of the health ministry’s order to test every patient undergoing an elective operation for the coronavirus.

A total of 41 medical professionals and hospital employees were tested for the virus following the patient’s diagnosis and all tests came back negative. The hospital emphasized that all staff members donned full protective equipment during the patient’s stay.

The finance ministry announced on Monday that it will be providing a NIS 300 million ($85 million) stimulus package to Israel’s beleaguered tourism industry.

Israel’s tourism industry, which normally employs about 80,000 people and contributes about 3% of the gross national product, has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Due to the fact that about 50% of hotel guests in normal times are tourists, hotels have been experiencing difficulties beyond other industries,” the finance ministry stated.

The financial aid is to assist hotels to reopen and operate despite the lack of income from foreign tourists, which is not expected to change any time soon.

Below is the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Jerusalem, which opened their restaurants and all other services to guests on Tuesday.

בירושלים מתאמצים לחזור לשגרה: מלון וולדורף אסטוריה בבירה משלים הבוקר פתיחה של כל המסעדות והשירותים לאורחים מבפנים ומבחוץ. pic.twitter.com/y1X7gLda4l

— יוסי אליטוב Yossi Elituv (@yoelituv) June 2, 2020

The ZAKA organization was pleased to discover a donation from none other than Alternate Prime Minister & Defense Minister Benny Gantz. Gantz didn’t publicize his donation to the organization but ZAKA decided to make it public.

מי אמר שהמנהיגים שלנו מנותקים מהעם?

בארגון זק"א הופתעו היום לקבל תרומה צנועה בהעברה בנקאית של לא פחות משר הביטחון וראש הממשלה החליפי בנימין גנץ.

אמנם הוא התכוון למתן בסתר, אבל אנחנו ראינו לנכון לפרסם זאת ברבים. pic.twitter.com/Y0p7I1l1tI

— זק״א (@zakaHQ) June 1, 2020

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)