Health Minister Yuli Edelstein presented the conclusions of a survey conducted on behalf of the health ministry at a meeting of the Knesset Coronavirus Committee which showed that almost 80% of the public supports increasing police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions.

“In one week, 800 people were diagnosed with the coronavirus,” Edelstein said at the meeting. “We can’t remain indifferent to this number.”

“The police must resume strict enforcement to restore the public’s discipline and enable us to continue opening the economy, including the reopening of the trains in another two days in an outline we agreed on with the transportation ministry. Enforcement must be carried out in the malls, buses, trains, restaurants, events halls and every location.” [A decision was made later on Monday to delay resuming train service for another week, when the situation will be re-evaluated.]

“As the poll proves – the public also wants this. No one wants to be harmed by violators of the law, no one wants the economy to be closed because of them.”

Edelstein stressed that the 800 cases diagnosed in the past week stand in stark contrast to the 300 infections diagnosed in the previous two weeks combined.

The committee convened on Monday to discuss a bill allowing the government to implement emergency regulations when necessary in order to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. The controversial bill has been criticized for allowing the government too much power and may violate citizens’ personal rights.

The bill, which still must be approved by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and the Knesset, would grant the government power to enforce lockdowns and social distancing, order people to isolate, close down businesses that fail to comply with regulations and designate neighborhoods as restricted zones for up to a week.

A Yisrael Hayom report on Monday revealed that some Israeli businesses are ignoring health ministry guidelines.

The reporters “staked out” a mall in Kfar Saba and the central bus station and a post office in Be’er Sheva, and found countless violations of the restrictions, with social distancing nowhere to be seen, temperatures not being checked and masks not being worn or being worn under people’s chins.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)