New infections mount as Israeli gov't toughens measures

Outside during the virus  / Photo: Cadya Levy, Globes
Outside during the virus / Photo: Cadya Levy, Globes

The government has increased the fine for not wearing a mask in public to NIS 500 and vowed to enforce it.

The Israeli government is introducing tougher new measures to counter the recent rise in new Covid-19 infections. Another 274 new infections have been reported over the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reports, slightly down from last Friday's peak.

There are 45 people seriously ill with the virus, up five from yesterday and 29 people are on ventilators, up one from yesterday. The number of fatalities has risen by one to 307. There have been 21,008 cases of coronavirus overall, of whom 15,761 have recovered.

While Minister of Finance Israel Katz has repeated that there is no need to go back into lockdown, the government has raised the fine for not wearing a mask in public to NIS 500 and vowed to enforce it. Municipal inspectors are being trained to enforce mask wearing and the purple badge regulations for businesses. The IDF has reintroduced restrictions on ceremonies and gathering and forbidden soldiers on leave to go to night clubs.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing the reintroduction of General Security Services tracking but is meeting resistance from members of the cabinet. 

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 22, 2020

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2020

Outside during the virus  / Photo: Cadya Levy, Globes
Outside during the virus / Photo: Cadya Levy, Globes
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