A lockdown of Jerusalem neighborhoods with high rates of confirmed coronavirus cases went into effect on Sunday at noon following the approval of the Knesset that convened overnight Motzei Shabbos.

The lockdown will be enforced until Wednesday, April 15 at 7 a.m. in the “restricted zones” designated by the government. About 100 police checkpoints were set up at the entrances to the zones to ensure that no one enters or leaves the zones except for specific essential purposes, with over 1,000 police officers and IDF soldiers deployed in the city to enforce the lockdown. Drones and observation posts will also be utilized to enforce the regulations.

The four “restricted zones” are District 1, that includes the Neve Yaakov neighborhood, District 2, which includes Ramat Shlomo, Ramot and Romema, Kiryat Sanz, Kiryat Belz, Shichun Chabad, Ezras Torah, Gush Shmonim, Sanhedria and Sanhedria Murchevet, District 3, which includes Har Nof and Givat Shaul, and District 5, which includes Mea Shearim, Geulah, Beit Yisrael, Bucharim and Makor Baruch.

Har Nof has the highest rate of coronavirus cases in Jerusalem relative to its population, with 118 cases in a population of about 17,000.

The entire city of Jerusalem, which is the most populous city in Israel, has over 1,800 confirmed coronavirus cases in a population of about 900,000. The capital city has suffered 21 deaths.

Residents of the “restricted zones” will be allowed to leave only for essential purposes such as permitted work, emergency medical treatment, a levaya of a close relative, bringing a minor child of divorced parents to the second parent and legal proceedings.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)