Last night, in a vote by telephone, the government approved the extension of the special state of emergency in Israel until October 13. The extension means a general lockdown in Israel except for going out to a vital job, to purchase food and medicines, and for individual exercise.
It will be permissible to attend a demonstration up to one kilometer from the home. Demonstrations will be limited to twenty people, two meters apart, and wearing masks. Indoor gatherings in synagogues are also prohibited. There are widespread reports of breaches of these rules, and of family gatherings beyond permitted conditions and numbers.
This morning, the Ynet website reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife Sara Netanyahu breached the lockdown rules by bringing a hairdresser to her home. This is one more in a series of reports of public figures breaching the rules. Yesterday, it was reported that Israel Security Agency chief Nadav Argaman hosted family members for the sukkot holiday. This follows the reports that MK Mickey Levy visited the home of his son and grandchildren, and that Minister of Environmental Protection Gila Gamliel stayed at an apartment in Tiberias on sukkot, prayed in a synagogue in the city, contracted Covid-19, and lied in an epidemiological investigation.
A statement on behalf of Sara Netanyahu said that she had been consistently meticulous in observing the coronavirus lockdown rules. On the hairdresser incident, the statement said, "Since Mrs. Netanyahu is an influential public figure and was engaged in making a public service explanatory video, she assumed that it was permissible to use the services of a hairdresser as is the practice at the television channels. Mrs. Netanyahu and the hairdresser wore masks and gloves while they were together, and she even asked the hairdresser to refrain from conversation as a precautionary measure."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 7, 2020
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