Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Coronavirus commissioner Professor Ronni Gamzu plan on asking the government to impose severe restrictions on public movement during the upcoming High Holidays, as part of the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The Health Ministry said drastic measures are unavoidable, as Israel's daily tally of new corona cases rapidly approaches the 4,000 mark.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Since the onset of the global pandemic in mid-March, Israel has recorded 143,049 cases of the virus, including 1,055 deaths. Some 109,775 Israelis have recovered from the disease so far.
The ministry said that between Wednesday and Thursday, 44,717 tests were screened and 3,903 Israelis tested positive for the coronavirus.
Hospitals nationwide, warning their corona wards will soon reach full capacity, are currently caring for 927 COVID-19 patients, of whom 474 are in serious condition.
Edelstein and Gamzu plan on presenting the so-called "corona cabinet" with several alternatives for holiday season lockdown, effectively expanding on the nighttime curfew already imposed on dozens of cities where morbidity is quickly spiraling out of control.
The alternatives range between a nationwide curfew and a full lockdown for the duration of the High Holidays – an option Edelstein and Gamzu favor.
Partial limitations may allow for some economic activity, as they will focus on curfews between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m., and restricted gatherings of up 20 people indoors and 50 outdoors, mainly for religious services.
Should the government opt for a full nationwide lockdown, gatherings of any nature would be forbidden and the school system would shutter, as would all nonessential industries.
"The working premise is that in Israel, we can't walk between the raindrops and we have to impose uniform restrictions," a Health Ministry official told Israel Hayom.
"Nighttime curfews can't work well because there is no enforcement. Hospital administrators have been very clear – the [healthcare] system is on borderline overload and it is necessary to impose a lockdown as soon as possible to reduce the number of patients in serious condition before winter comes."
Speaking with Army Radio Thursday, Edelstein noted that "under the current circumstances, I find it difficult to see how we can avoid a full lockdown."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
