Israel announced on Friday new radical restrictions in reaction to a new outbreak of coronavirus cases, the closure of many businesses over the weekend and the restriction of takeaway and delivery restaurants.
The government announced the restrictions after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “provisional measures” were needed for some other general closure. Netanyahu has been the subject of many complaints and protests in recent days over his governance of the pandemic and the economic consequences of a previous blockade.
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Gyms and training studios will be closed for the use of competitive athletes. Restaurants will no longer be allowed to have on-site seating and beaches will be closed on weekends from the end of the month.
Shops, shopping malls, hairdressers, beauty salons and tourist sites will also be closed on weekends. Public meetings will be limited to another 10 people indoors or 20 abroad. The Cabinet approved the new pending approval measures through the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, but said they would take effect on Friday night, as the violations are an illegal crime.
By the end of May, Israel had largely contained its outbreak after a two-month blockade. But the cases soared in the weeks following the lifting of the restrictions, with Israel reporting about 1,900 new cases on Thursday alone. At least 384 other people have died since the start of the epidemic, out of a total of more than 45,000 cases.
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