Israel's cabinet has approved further lockdown relaxations, which come into effect tomorrow night April 25. All stores on streets will be allowed to open including hairdressers and beauty parlors while restaurants and eateries will be allowed to offer takeaway services although eating on the premises remains prohibited.
The latest planned relaxations come only one week after the government announced that the next round of relaxations would be in two weeks. Nevertheless, shopping malls will remain closed although sources close to the cabinet say they could be allowed to open as soon as May 3 together with kindergartens and grades one to three at schools. No date has been spoken about for restaurants, cafes and open-air markets.
The restriction of no exercise further than 500 meters from the home remains in place and a NIS 200 fine can be imposed on people seen in public without face masks.
Despite the relaxations, all military cemeteries will be closed on Memorial Day this week (Monday/Tuesday) and there willbe a full closure on Independence Day (Tuesday/Wednesday).
The relaxation comes as the number of new infections remains relatively small. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Israel as of this morning was 14,882, representing a rise of 290 cases in 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reports. In 5,685 of these cases the patient has recovered. The number of fatalities from the disease has risen to 193. There are 139 patients in severe condition, with 107 of them on ventilators.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 24, 2020
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