Israel’s Health Ministry issued an update on Motzei Shabbos in which they declared that two more Israelis have died as a result of Covid-19 Coronavirus. The total number of deaths in the country since the beginning of the outbreak now stands at 247. There were 18 new cases of the virus declared over the past 24 hours and an additional 147 people made a full recovery. So far, 11,376 people who have had the disease in Israel have made a full recovery. There are currently 4,831 people who currently are ill with the virus, among those, are 64 people on ventilators.

Students in grades 4-11 in Israel who have not yet returned to school, are expected to make a partial return to schools beginning next Sunday on condition that there isn’t a rise in the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus between now and then. Director of the Education Ministry Shmuel Abuav stated that at first, students in these grades will return for two days of the school week and it will be up to the schools to decide which days those are. The rest of the time, students in these classes will continue their online learning from home.

The government ratified continuing to give benefits to the unemployed in Israel. Benefits will be extended to everyone on unemployment currently until the end of May, even if the benefits were supposed to end previously. Additionally, benefits will now be given for a period of at least six months. Due to the intensity of claims on the National Insurance (Bituach Leumi) they will now be able to give an advance of up to 8,000 per person to anyone who filed for unemployment before the end of April and whose files are still being processed.

Numerous city councils have decided to cancel the Lag Ba’Omer vacation for schools, daycares, and kindergartens, to compensate for missed time due to school closures from Coronavirus. Among them are Yavneh, and Tel Aviv. Parents in many other cities have petitioned the local councils to do the same allowing continuity of classes that are just now returning to study.

A man in his thirties drowned in the Kineret on Friday. He was in serious condition and was rescued by medical teams. He was brought to Poriya hospital in Tevaria where it was discovered that he has the Coronavirus. He was transferred to the specialized ward to treat Coronavirus patients. The teams who rescued him have all been ordered into home isolation as a result of coming into contact with him.  Among them were three police officers, six members of the Magen David Adom team, and three doctors from the emergency room of the hospital.

A 48-year-old man was pulled from the water at the separate beach in Ashkelon after he had drowned. Volunters from United Hatzalah and ambulance teams from MDA treated him at the scene and transported him to Barzilai Hospital where he was intubated and put into an induced coma.

A 30-year-old man was critically injured in a stabbing incident that took place on Shetulim Street in Tel Aviv. United Hatzalah volunteers and MDA ambulance teams treated him for his wounds and transported him to Ichilov hospital in the city while he was undergoing CPR. Three other people were injured in the act of violence that caused the man’s injuries. They were treated at the scene and transported to Wolfson Hospital in Holon.

A motorcyclist in his 30’s was seriously injured in a self induced accident on Yerushalayim Street in Herzliya. United Hatzalah volunteers and MDA ambulance teams treated the man at the scene before transporting him to Beilinson Hsopital in Petach Tikvah.

A 72-year-old man was bitten by a poisonous snake on David Elazar Street in Holon and is in serious condition. United Hatzalah volunteers and MDA ambulance teams treated him at the scene before he was transported to Assaf Harofeh Hospital in Tzrifin.

Some 300 people protested at Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv against the agreement to form a unity government between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz.

Protests were held at Kikar HaBimah in Tel Aviv by Medical Residents and Medical Students against the long hours by resident doctors in hospitals that are causing burnout among many residents. Shifts of more than 26 hours consecutively are common practice in many hospitals and take place numerous times per week in many cases. The overworking of residents according to many protesters has led to a decline in the level of care that they are able to provide patients in the hospitals.

A Syrian refugee in Amsterdam who has been arrested previously for destroying the window on a Jewish restaurant in the city and subsequently released from prison damaged the same restaurant once again. He was caught ad re-arrested by the police after his most recent act of vandalism which caused major damage to the front of the restaurant. The restaurant HaCarmel, which is a well-known Jewish establishment in the city, proudly displays an Israeli flag. The restaurant has been attacked five times in the last two-and-a-half-years.

BD’E: Ramiro Bassi, a well known Jewish Doctor from Argentina, was killed earlier this week after the private jet that he was flying in crashed in the Andes. Bassi and two other passengers were killed in the crash. Bassi was on his way to the town of Esquel in the Andes mountains in order to assist a patient on a mission that would hopefully save the patient’s life. Bassi was well known throughout the community and family members stated that he was always ready and willing to fly to various parts of Argentina to save lives.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)