As the number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus in Israel rose to 324 on Tuesday afternoon, the Health Ministry instructed Israelis not to leave their homes except for essential needs.

People are not permitted to leave their homes to go to parks, libraries, museums beaches, swimming pools or other public areas except for purposes of taking out children or pets as a family.

People may leave their homes to shop for groceries, buy medications, receive medical care and other essential needs. Those who have workplaces that fulfills the Health Ministry’s requirements may travel to work.

No public or private group activities may be held, even with a minimal amount of participants, including sports and workouts.

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People should refrain from hosting friends and relatives and instead keep in touch through telephone or other digital means.

Elderly people and those with chronic illnesses of any age, breathing difficulties including asthma, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, diabetes, immune system disorders, and conditions and malignant diseases should avoid leaving the home as much as possible beside essential services and from hosting people in their homes and should obtain the help of friends and relatives in obtaining home supplies.

Home deliveries should be left outside the door.

It’s recommended to delay all dental appointments except for treatments which are absolutely necessary or emergency treatments.

When leaving the home if necessary one should minimize contact with others and maintain a distance of two meters.

Additional behavior regulations:

Refrain from physical contact including hugs and handshakes.

Do not open doors with your palms.

Minimize touching your face.

Wash hands frequently.

Ventilate your home as much as possible.

Handles and doors should be disinfected.

Avoid kissing mezuzahs and other tashmishei kedushah.

Avoid smoking cigarettes, e-cigarettes or hookahs – this is a good opportunity to stop smoking!

Avoid using one platter for shared eating or sharing food.

Healthy nutrition and exercise should be maintained while staying at home.

When it’s permitted to leave home:

To buy essentials if there’s no possibility of delivery

Funeral – minimize as much as possible or relatives only and maintain two meters between each person.

It’s permitted for individuals to take a ten-minute walk in an isolated place or to go out to the courtyard. One should ride the elevator alone or without contact with other people.

How to behave when leaving the home:

By private car – one person alone in the car or family members who live in the same household.

Refrain as much as possible from using public transportation. Further guidelines will be issued.

As of Sunday, March 22, all elective activity in public hospitals will be halted. Further details will be issued.

Retail stores that are not essential (like food, pharmaceuticals and toiletries) must close.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced new economic restrictions on Monday night, including a reduction of economic activity in the private sector and transferring the public sector to emergency mode. The prime minister reassured the public that essential services, including supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and medical facilities will continue to operate.

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Monday that memorial ceremonies for fallen soldiers and terror victims on Yom HaZicharon will be held without an audience and instead will be broadcast live.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)