Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu MOREThe cabinet voted on Sunday to extend the country’s closure of the coronavirus until at least Friday morning, as Israel is still facing high infection rates.
Netanyahu’s office announced the extension of the closure that most schools and non-essential businesses closed when it entered its fourth week Monday local time. The Times of Israel reported.
Officials have also decided to close the country’s only major airport until Sunday and to reintroduce a mandatory quarantine for those allowed inside the government’s quarantine hotels from Tuesday.
The expansion comes because Israel predicted that cases and deaths from coronavirus would decrease by mid-January, which according to forecast would not come true. Reuters. Israeli officials point to more contagious foreign tribes and non-compliance in the country for the continued high COVID-19 statistics.
Cabinet officials have been tense over how long the suspension should be suspended, while officials from Netanyahu and the Ministry of Health have been arguing for at least a week, while Defense Minister Benny Gantz has insisted on closing no later than Thursday , according to The Times of Israel.
Israel has maintained about 6,000 new coronavirus cases per day, reaching one of the highest infection rates among developing countries. Associated Press reported. Forty percent of current cases are among children and teens, a Ministry of Health official told cabinet members, according to The Times of Israel.
Overall, the country has counted more than 643,000 COVID-19 cases, leading to nearly 4,800 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 3 million people in Israel received the first dose of vaccine, with more than 1.7 million both doses.
Cabinet officials announced the decision following pressure burials for two prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Jerusalem, who oppose the restrictions of up to ten people for outdoor gatherings. According to reports by the AP, both rabbis died of COVID-19.
Netanyahu, who is facing an election in March, has been criticized by opponents for not responding strictly enough to large gatherings of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who as a community make up 40 percent of the new affairs but 11 percent of the population .