Israel’s Health Ministry announced that 1,831 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday out of 23,263 tests conducted. The percentage of people who took tests that were infected was more than 8 percent, a number that is much higher than in previous days. On Shabbos, the number rose to 8.9 percent of the people tested were found to have been infected with the virus.

Over the course of Shabbos, 23 fires broke out in the Gaza periphery as a result of balloon bombs fired from Gaza. Firefighters and KK”L workers were active throughout the day in putting out the fires.

An estimated 15,000 people marched across Jerusalem to protest at the Prime Minister’s residence in a demonstration due to the financial plight caused by COVID-19 in an event that has become a weekly practice in the capital. The protesters marched from Jaffa Street at the entrance of the city to the residence on Balfour Street. The light rail, as well as traffic throughout the area, was stopped due to the protest. Additionally, a few hundred people protested outside of the Prime Minister’s personal house in Cesaria.

Additionally, dozens of Breslov Chassidim held a demonstration against the Prime Minister and the Coronavirus Project Coordinator Ronni Gamzu in an effort to pressure the pair to create an outline agreement that would allow thousands of Israelis, mostly Breslov Chassidim to go to Rebbe Nachman’s grave in the city of Uman in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister announced on Motzei Shabbos, that he was appointing Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Zeev Elkin to head a team of ministers that would explore the possibility of creating a draft that would allow travel to Uman under strict guidelines set forth by the Ukrainian Health Ministry. Other members of the team include Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, Corona Project Coordinator Ronni Gamzu, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, and Science Minister YIzhar Shai.

Meanwhile, authorities in Ukraine have declared that the past 24-hour-period saw the highest number of infected people across the country. According to reports coming out of Kyiv, 2,481 new cases of confirmed patients occurred in the past 24 hours. Ukraine announced that tourists will not be permitted into the country at all until September 28th. This prohibition includes the Chassidim wishing to visit Uman for Rosh Hashanah.

A 76-year-old man drowned to death at the Arches Beach in Cesaria. Magen David Adom ambulance crews and United Hatzalah volunteers performed CPR on the man after he was pulled out of the water by lifeguards who saw that he was struggling. His death was pronounced in the field by paramedics at the scene at the end of the CPR efforts.

A man in his 40s drowned at Acadia Beach in Herzliya. Magen David Adom teams and United Hatzalah first responders performed CPR on the man and then transported him to Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv in serious condition.

A man in his 30s was in serious condition after being shot in Qalansawe. He was treated at the scene for his injuries before being taken to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba.

On Friday night, a man in his 20s was in critical condition after being shot in Kfar Qassem. He was treated at the scene by United Hatzalah volunteers and  Magen David Adom ambulance teams, who transported him to Beilinson Hospital/Rabin Medical Center.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)