Israel’s Health Ministry updated the numbers of those infected with COVID-19 on Motzei Shabbos and announced that over the course of Shabbos 11 people passed away in Israel due to the disease. The total number of deaths in Israel caused by the disease since its outbreak is 526. The number of new cases declared over Shabbos was 582. In total, there are currently 328 people listed as being in serious condition due to the disease in Israel.

In Eilat, police said that they found a person who had tested positive for the disease and instead of entering into isolation, headed to the southern city in violation of his quarantine. He had stayed for an entire day at the Club Hotel in the city. He was fined 5,000 NIS for breaking his quarantine and he and his family have been expelled from the city.

Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Rafi Peretz announced that he tested positive for having contracted the virus. He made the announcement on his Twitter page and wrote: “As the end of Shabbos came, I unfortunately discovered that I have tested positive for the virus in the test that I took on Friday. I am currently feeling well and I wish that all the sick people in Israel have a speedy refuah.” Peretz took the test after his Chief of Staff, Avi Cohen, tested positive on Thursday. Since that test the Minister entered ino home isolation. Peretz is only the second minister to have tested positive for the virus after the former Health Minsiter Yaakov Litzman tested positive for the virus earlier this year.

Following Peretz’s positive result, a Police Spokesperson announces that the head oo the Jerusalem District of the Police, Comissioner Doron Yedid, is going into home isolation as he met with Minister Peretz last week. Deputy Comissioner Eli Kazari will be taking over his responsibilities while Yedid is away. Yedid was part of the task force that was stationed at the large protest outside of the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem tonight.

At the protests, more than 10,000 people gathered on Balfor and Gaza streets near Paris Square in the center of Jerusalem. Interim Head of the police Motti Cohen arrived at the protest to oversee the officers stationed at the scene and said: “Thousands of officers have been spread across the country to protect the safety of the citizens of Israel who are coming out to protest. The officers will do everything in their power in order to protect the rights of the protesters. However, we will not allow violence of any kind to take place at these protests.”

In addition to the protest in Jerusalem, more than 1,000 protesters rallied outside of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s private home in Caesarea.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit issued a statement on Motzei Shabbos saying that soldiers had detained a Palestinian man who had crossed the northern part of the fence from Gaza into Israel. The Palestinian man was not carrying a weapon. He was interrogated and then sent back into the Gaza Strip.

A resident from Netivot in his 40s was seriously injured after he was stabbed on Giora Yoseftal Street in Ashkelon. United Hatzalah volunteers and ambulance teams from Magen David Adom treated him at the scene before he was transported to Barzilai Hospital in the city in stable but serious condition. Police have opened an investigation into the incident.

Eight people were moderately and lightly injured in a car accident that took place between two cars on Highway 90 near the Gome Interchange close to Kiryat Shmona. UH volunteers and MDA ambulance teams treated the injured and transported them to Ziv Hospital.

Four people, three teenagers and a woman in her 50s, were injured during an act of violence that took place at a pool in a town in the Merhavim Regional District in the northern Negev. The three teenagers, ages 16-19, were transported to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva for treatment. Police arrived at the scene and opened an investigation. According to a statement by the police spokesperson later in the day, two suspects, who are residents of Ofakim, were arrested.

Volunteers from United Hatzalah treated a one-year-old boy after he fell inside his home on Motzei Shabbos in the town of Mehola in the Jordan Valley. Volunteer paramedic Oded Shabbat who was one of the first responders to arrive at the scene said: “The child suffered a major head trauma after he apparently fell out of a bed that is a meter and a half high. I treated the boy at the scene after which, he was airlifted by helicopter to Ha-Emek hospital. He was later transferred to Rambam medical center in Haifa. He is listed as being in serious condition.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)