On Motzei Shabbos, Israel’s Health Ministry announced that 8,221 people were confirmed to have contracted Coronavirus over the course of the past 24 hours. The percentage of people having the virus of the total number being checked rose to 16.6%. The number of people on respirators throughout the country also rose to it’s highest point ever and now stands at 200.

The total amount of Israelis currently hospitalized with the disease is 1,439. Some 40,833 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus this week alone. That number is similar to the total number of people who contracted the virus between the months of February and July.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released of video of himself explaining why Israel needs a full lockdown. In the video, he admits that mistakes were made along the way and that the country opened event halls too early, and likely the education system as well. Netanyahu called on the population to not go to Shuls on Yom Kippur but rather to pray outdoors.

In the meantime, thousands of people are protesting on Motzei Shabbos in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem against the Prime Minister’s actions in combatting the virus. The protests are taking place in numerous locations in Tel Aviv, and on Gaza/Balfour Street in Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv, reports have circulated that some 20 people have been attacked by youngsters who cursed at them and sang “Bibi our king.”

Israelis from across the country participated in convoys that traveled up major highways on Shabbos in order to get to Jerusalem to participate in the protest. A Police blockade that was set up stopped a convoy from Modi’in that was headed to the capital and told motorists that according to the new regulations, protests were only allowed to be done with a kilometer from a person’s residence. after being held up for some time, the convoy was eventually allowed to continue. A police spokesperson said: “Officers were instructed to allow those participating in the mass protests to arrive unimpeded. Unfortunately, we are finding that many motorists are abusing the regulation of the protests in an effort to cut corners and avoid enforcement of the lockdown regulations.”

Officers who were sent to enforce the restrictions during the protest in Jerusalem were issuing tickets to anyone not wearing a mask and not keeping distance.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein spoke about the protests on Motzei Shabbos and said: “Don’t take any example from what is going on tonight. The protesters are abusing the delay of the Knesset in order to damage their own health and the health of those around them. On Tuesday, we will finish the legislation and limit these protests.

The IDF Home Front Command utilized 13 different Yeshivot and schools around the country to quarantine 438 Chassidim and Avreichim from Gur, who suddenly contracted Coronavirus. One of the yeshivot was Yeshiva Chidushei HaRim in northern Tel Aviv. The IDF forgot to alert the municipality and residents called the police. The city said that they were unaware that a corona hotel was being set up in the city.

Palestinian terrorists lit fire to a number of agricultural fields in the region of the Shiloh block of towns in the Binyamin region. The incidents took place near the town of Eish Kodesh. In addition to lighting fires, the terrorists also uprooted trees and agricultural fences that belonged to Jews. The terrorists then threw stones at the Jewish residents who headed down to put out the fires. The residents then were met with left-wing provocateurs and reporters who were lying in wait to catch the reactions of the Jewish residents, thus recognizing that the entire thing was planned ahead of time and staged in order to make the residents of the town look bad.

A Jerusalem teenager was seriously injured while riding an electric bicycle on Golda Meir Street when he slipped. Volunteers from United Hatzalah and ambulance teams from Magen David Adom treated the boy who was transferred to Sha’arei Tzedek hospital while he sedated and intubated.

A man in his 40s was seriously injured after he fell off of the roof of a building on Shivtei Yisrael Street in Yaffo, while working on the building. United Hatzalah volunteers and MDA ambulance teams treated the man who was taken to Wolfson Hospital in serious condition.

Popular singer Shlomi Shabbat contracted Corona over Shabbos. His manager announced that he feels fine and is home in quarantine.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)