In what was his second address to the nation in as many days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a dramatic announcement Thursday in the effort to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
Netanyahu, who on Wednesday announced a mandatory prohibition on gatherings exceeding 100 people, said that Israeli schools and universities will be shut down indefinitely.
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The only exception, for the time being, are preschools, kindergartens and various facilities for special-needs children, which will be addressed at a later date. "We must do everything we can to fight the coronavirus outbreak," PM Netanyahu says on live television.
Speaking live around 8 p.m., Netanyahu said that it was paramount to take any measure that would help slow down the rate of infections so that Israel won't have thousands upon thousands of dead and infected like Italy and other hotspots around the world.
"The key to victory is to avoid community spread and the key to that is two-pronged: personal hygiene ... and keeping a distance," he said, pointing out that he did not invite any ministers to speak with him on the podium in order to avoid any potential spread and to lead by example.
He said he was aware of the high-degree of sacrifice the new measure requires from average Israelis, but he said it was time to unite and put the differences aside. He also took the opportunity to call for a unity government that would end the year-long political paralysis and three inconclusive elections.
Netanyahu further implored Israelis not to ask grandparents to watch over children who now have to stay at home, because older people are considered to be prone to infection.
