Top Health Ministry Official Says ‘Still No Trend Reversal,’ as Regulations Tighten
As the highly contagious coronavirus spreads around the world, Israel and the Palestinians struggle to contain a local outbreak that has virtually halted daily life and led to tens of thousands of people entering quarantine.
■ 4,831 Israelis have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, with the vast majority of cases mild and 161 recoveries. Eighteen patients have died and 83 are in serious condition and 69 are on ventilators. One Israeli tourist died in Italy.
■ In the West Bank, 107 cases have been diagnosed so far. One woman in her 60s died. The Palestinian prime minister ordered a lockdown as of last Sunday. In Gaza, 10 cases were diagnosed, the first two after returning from Pakistan.
■ Israel’s government intensified restrictions on movement, banning public gatherings, including for prayer, and limiting outings to two people from the same household and only up to 100 meters away from home. Israel’s new guidelines explained
■ Health Minister Yaakov Litzman recommended imposing a closure on the largely ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, which has become a hot spot for the spread of the virus.
■ Health Ministry Director General says ‘still no trend reversal‘ in coronavirus spread in Israel.
LIVE UPDATES
3:50 P.M. Most Israeli virus cases transmitted between different generations
There is a high incidence in Israel of inter-generational coronavirus infection in Israel, a new study shows. One third of infections between known virus patients in the country were transmitted between people with an age gap of 20 to 40 years.
An analysis by the National Center for Information and Knowledge in the Fight Against the Coronavirus studied 1,000 cases of known viral transmission between 3,800 confirmed coronavirus patients. Most of these transmissions, they found, took place between family members.
The researchers recommend emphasizing the importance of avoiding family gatherings, such as meals and events, specifically with the Passover holiday approaching. They also stress proper hygienic practices in the home, particularly in larger households. (Rony Linder)
3:20 P.M. Bennett: We must reopen the market or more will die
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett warned against further reducing the Israeli market: “It’s better not to close more buinesses because that’s not where the problem is,” he said.
“The private sector is the heart of the mission. If we don’t handle this properly, we’ll get to a point where, God forbid, there will be more dead from suicide than from the coronavirus, so we need to proceed the right way, understand the crisis that’s threatening millions of Israelis who don’t know how they’ll pay their rent tomorrow.”
Bennet said that Israel must take steps now to reopen the economy after the end of the Passover holiday, which begins next week.
3:00 P.M. Cave of the Patriarchs exempted from lockdown rules
At the behest of former MK Orit Strook, The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Shas Chairman Arye Dery requested that the Cave of the Patriarchs, a site holy to Jews and to Muslims in Hebron, be exempted from the new, stringent guidelines that ban public prayer gatherings.
The request will be formally approved by the head of the IDF’s Central Command later today. The site will hold a reduced prayer quorum of 10 people three times a day on a nearby road. (Aaron Rabinowitz)
2:33 Israel’s coronavirus death toll climbs to 18
The Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot said that a woman in her 90s died Tuesday morning from COVID-19. The woman suffered from pre-existing conditions. (Bar Peleg)
2:23 P.M. Defense Minister to hold a Q&A session on coronavirus
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett will hold a Q&A, which will be livestreamed on his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Bennett will take questions from the public and media concerning the coronavirus crisis. (Haaretz)
12:35 P.M. Swab testing may miss coronavirus carriers, posing a dilemma for doctors
The Israeli medical system has been relying on swab-sample testing to check patients suspected to have the coronavirus, and making decisions regarding isolation and treatment based on these their results. However, doctors face a dilemma when patients test negative but have clear symptoms of infection.
Results of a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association — based on 1,070 tests on 205 patients — found that swab-sample testing through the nostrils spotted only 63 percent of those infected with COVID-19, and that those whose samples were taken from their throats only identified 32 percent of those infected. Experts suggest that performing both tests increases the accuracy to 70 percent, assuming that the samples are properly obtained. (Ido Efrati)
12:09 P.M. Israel’s unemployment rate surpasses 23 percent
Israel’s Employment Service reported that since the beginning of March, 811,824 people filed for unemployment benefits, with 90 percent of them put on unpaid leave, and 6.4 percent fired.
The total number of those seeking unemployment benefits now stands at 969,693. Israel’s unemployment rate, which in early March stood at 4 percent, now stands at 23.3 percent. (Sivan Klingbail)
11:52 A.M. Israel’s Health Ministry director general says ‘still no trend reversal’
Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov expressed concern that the number of coronavirus confirmed cases would spike during Passover, saying “We still don’t see a trend reversal.”
Siman Tov added that on Monday Israel saw a significant rise in coronavirus patients.
Referring to the issue of protective masks, Siman Tov said that the World Health Organization officially determined that COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets, and is not airborne.
“This led several countries, including Israel, to recommend those who leave the house to wear masks. We are currently examining, together with other experts if the public can make do with improvised masks, because the medical staff need the masks we have in stock,” Siman Tov added.
Moreover, Siman Tov said that the Health Ministry is preparing, at the request of Health Minister Yaakov Litzman, to impose lockdown on entire communities.
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“This kind of lockdown demands extremely high involvement of the Home Front command and the police,” Siman Tov said.
In addition, Prof. Sigal Sadetsky, head of public health services in the Health Ministry, said that “According to the information we have today, a person who was infected with the virus once, cannot catch the virus again. If the virus mutate, we’ll of course face a different situation.” (Ido Efrati)
10:45 A.M. Health Ministry recommends expanding coronavirus tests in nursing homes, prisons
A special Health Ministry task-force has recommended expanding the number of the current coronavirus tests carried out per day, focusing on those who work with the most at risk populations.
In its recommendations, the special team also said that people with respiratory symptoms, cough, or difficulties in breathing – as well as individuals who are not showing any signs of the virus but work with someone who was diagnosed with the illness – should be tested.
The team put an emphasis on staffers working in nursing homes, hospitals and prisons. (Ido Efrati)
10:30 P.M. Health Minister recommends to Netanyahu to impose closure on ultra-Orthodox city
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman recommended to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to impose a closure on the largely ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak.
In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth that was published Tuesday, Litzman said that the situation in the city is “terrible and frightening, and each day raises fears of [violating] ‘pikuach nefesh,'” referring to the concept in Judaism that saving human lives is above all else.
Litzman added that he had discussed it with the heads of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Health Ministry and the Interior Ministry will look into the possibility of imposing such a measure.
Referring to the spike of cases among the ultra-Orthodox public, Litzman added, “It’s true that carrying out Jewish laws are not damaging, but we’re seeing the effects of Purim now,” referring to the Jewish festival that took place on March 10. “With God’s help, I hope it will pass in a few days.” He denied asking to exempt synagogues and ritual baths from the coronavirus restrictions. (Haaretz)
10:10 A.M. Coronavirus patient jumps out of hospital window
The Poriya Hospital in Tiberias said that a 34-year-old man diagnosed with the coronavirus had jumped out of his hospital window.
The man was admitted to the hospital a week ago in light condition, after entering home quarantine. He is currently in serious condition and will probably need to undergo surgery.
The police are investigating the circumstances leading to the incident. (Noa Spiegel)
9:45 A.M. Twenty-seven ventilators, eight million masks arrive in Israel
The Health Ministry said that a shipment of 27 ventilators has arrived in Israel, as well as eight million masks.
The Health Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces worked in cooperation to bring the ventilators and medical gear to Israel as soon as possible, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry said. (Ido Efrati)
9:38 A.M. Diagnosed coronavirus patient tests negative after passing away, death toll drops to 17
A 56-year-old, who was at first diagnosed with the coronavirus, tested negative after passing away at the hospital, therefore changing the coronavirus death toll reported before from 18 to 17. (Bar Peleg)
9:27 A.M. Israeli hospital to temporarily close maternity ward amid coronavirus crisis
The Assuta hospital in the southern city of Ashdod announced it would temporarily close its maternity ward to diminish the exposure of newborns to the virus. (Almog Ben Zikri)
8:14 Coronavirus death toll in Israel climbs to 18, with two fatalities in one day
A 49-year-old woman passed away after a battle with COVID-19, raising the death toll to 18. She is the second fatality in one day. The woman, Israel’s youngest coronavirus fatality, was admitted to the Assaf Harofeh Hospital on Thursday. She suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure.
She leaves behind four-year-old twins. The twins’ father passed away from cardiac arrest shortly after they were born. (Bar Peleg)
8:10 A.M. Coronavirus toll in Israel climbs to 4,831, with 83 cases in serious condition
The Health Ministry said Tuesday that 136 more people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing toll to 4,831. Eighty-three patients are in serious condition, 69 of which are on ventilators. (Ido Efrati)
8:04 A.M. Coronavirus death toll in Israel rises to 17
A woman with underlying health issues in her 50s died from complications of COVID-19 Tuesday morning, raising the death toll in Israel to 17.
The woman was hospitalized in the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer for 10 days before she succumbed to the disease. She left behind three children. (Bar Peleg)
7:04 A.M One more Palestinian tests positive, bringing total coronavirus toll in the West Bank to 107
A spokesperson for the Palestinian government in the West Bank said that one more confirmed coronavirus case was registered in the territories, raising the toll there to 107. He added that all those diagnosed with the disease in the West Bank are in a light condition.
The spokesperson said that the Palestinian Authority doesn’t have exact data about the number of confirmed cases in East Jerusalem. (Jack Khoury)
5:10 A.M. U.S. coronavirus death toll surges past 3,000, with 540 fatalities in one day
The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic climbed past 3,000 on Monday, the deadliest day yet in the country’s mounting crisis, while New York cheered the arrival of a gleaming 1,000-bed U.S. Navy hospital ship as a sign of hope in the city’s desperate fight.
In a grim new milestones marking the spread of the virus, total deaths across the United States hit 3,017, including at least 540 on Monday, and the reported cases climbed to more than 163,000, according to a Reuters tally. (Reuters)
1:06 A.M. Israeli government approves new regulations, restricts assembly to two people living in the same dwelling
The government approved a set of stricter regulations overnight Monday.
The workforce will be reduced to 15 percent, down from 30 percent until now. In workplaces not considered “essential,” no more than 10 workers will be allowed inside at a time.
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett was the only cabinet minister voting against reducing the workforce in the private sector to 15 percent.
Public gatherings are now banned altogether, including prayer, with very specific exceptions for some ceremonies. Weddings can be held without guests. Funerals can be held in open spaces with up to 20 participants. Circumcision ceremonies are permitted with up to ten participants.
Prayer at the Western Wall will be allowed with up to 10 participants at each prayer service, standing at least two meters apart from one another.
A small but significant difference in the final regulations is that only two people living in the same house will be able to go out together. According to the guidelines, going outside is only allowed for a short time and up to 100 meters from home. The regulations will go into effect on Wednesday. (Noa Landau)
MONDAY
11:14 P.M. Magen David Adom to open drive-through test center in ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak
Starting Monday at 9 A.M., a new drive-through test station will open in Bnei Brak, a hotspot for coronavirus in Israel.
People unable to drive to the center will be able to access it in special ambulances, the Magen David Adom rescue services, which runs the operation, said in a press release on Sunday.
It also said another station had opened in Wadi Ara, a district in Northern Israel where a majority of the population is from the Arab community. (Ido Efrati)
11:10 P.M. Despite restrictions on praying in public, government makes exception for Western Wall
As per the demand of Interior Minister Arye Dery, the Israeli government permitted, against restrictions announced earlier by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to hold three prayers a day at the Western Wall in groups of ten. This in order to allow continued prayer at the site.
In addition, the government allowed the ultra-Orthodox radio station “Kol Barama” to keep holding a prayer quorum, a minyan, of ten people so they may broadcast them live. (Aaron Rabinowitz)
10:20 P.M. Government approves deploying troops for patrol
Seven hundred Israeli soldiers will join the police Tuesday in enforcing lockdown regulations. The soldiers will be unarmed, except for commanders and forces patrolling in the West Bank.
9:52 P.M. One coronavirus patient diagnosed in Gaza
One Gazan tested positive for COVID-19 in the Strip, raising the total number of cases to 10. (Jack Khoury)
9:42 P.M. Government to isolate Arab, Haredi patients in quarantine centers
Israel will take confirmed and suspected Arab and Haredi coronavirus patients out of their homes in the coming days and quarantine them in special centers. The ministry estimates that there are between 50 and 100 thousand people in Israel that should be in quarantine but have fallen under the government radar.
“There are entire populations that don’t report to the government that they are in quarantine as they are not used to filling online forms or don’t even know that they need to,” said the Director of the Interior Ministry.
In response to a Haaretz query, the government clarified that people will not be taken out of their houses by force. (Lee Yaron)
9:32 P.M. Tel Aviv hospital separating ultra-Orthodox women in maternity ward
The maternity ward in Ichilov Hospital is checking women from Haredi cities into separate rooms, testing them for the virus and separating them from their newborns after birth. “The protocol applies to women who come from areas with high rates of coronavirus contagion,” a statement by the hospital said.
8:24 P.M. Total number of COVID-19 cases in Israel stands at 4,695
The Health Ministry announced 4,695 cases of coronavirus in Israel to date, a 10.5 percent increase in 24 hours. (Haaretz)
8:22 P.M. Netanyahu, family and close staff test negative for coronavirus
Benjamin Netanyahu, his family and close aides tested negative for coronavirus, according to the prime minister’s spokesperson. He is still in quarantine, per health ministry directives. (Noa Landau)
7:44 P.M. Netanyahu announces tighter restrictions on public
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday further restrictions on the public, which include barring public gatherings of more than two people.
The restrictions have yet to go into effect, and need to be approved by the government overnight.
Netanyahu commended the majority of Israeli citizens for following the restrictions, but said a rebellious minority endangers the rest of the public. He added that security forces were instructed to enforce movement restrictions in areas where people have statistically been flouting government directives, without elaborating on where these areas are.
According to Netanyahu, praying would only be permitted to individuals and not groups, and is disallowed in public. Weddings will be held in the presence of the nuclear family. Funerals are limited for up to 20 people and circumcisions for up to ten.
In addition, the private sector’s scope of work would be minimized from 30 percent to 15 percent.
Netanyahu also announced an 80 billion shekels ($22 billion) economic rescue package, “that’s 6% of the GDP and it’s a lot,” said Netanyahu.
The package will allocate 10 billion shekels ($2.8 billion) to the health system, 30 billion shekels ($8.4 billion) to welfare and unemployment and 32 billion shekels ($9 billion) to aid small and large businesses and 8 billion shekels ($2.2) to economic stimulus. (Haaretz)
7:31 P.M. Israeli embassy employee tests positive for virus
WASHINGTON – A worker at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., has tested positive for the coronavirus. The worker, who is an Israeli citizen working at the embassy in a non-diplomatic role, began having symptoms approximately two weeks ago and was sent home immediately, according to an embassy spokesperson.
In reply to a Haaretz query on the subject, the embassy wrote that it is going through a disinfection process, “in accordance with the regulations of the Foreign and Health Ministries” in Israel. It remains open and “continues to serve the public,” although many staff members are working from home. (Amir Tibon)
6:50 P.M. Israeli employers to insure Palestinian workers
The Israeli Interior Ministry intends to force Israeli employers of Palestinian workers to provide them with health insurance during the coronavirus crisis, according to a legal memo published Sunday. Until now, Palestinian workers were insured in Israel for work accidents only. Their health insurance, deducted from their salary, was transferred to the Palestinian Authority.
There are currently an estimated 40,000 Palestinians working and staying overnight in Israel that due to lockdown will not be able to return to the West Bank should they need medical treatment. (Hagar Shezaf)
6:45 P.M. Unemployment rate at 23.1 percent
More than 800,000 Israelis have registered for unemployment benefits in March, raising the unemployment rate to 23.1 percent. (Lee Yaron)
6:38 P.M. Police enforces lockdown with fines
The Israel Police gave more than 2,100 fines Monday for violation of regulations intended to curb the spread of coronavirus. (Josh Breiner)
6:37 P.M. Nursing homes to be quarantined for 21 days
The welfare ministry intends to prohibit visits to homes for the elderly, disabled and minors in foster care, according to a legal memo published Sunday. Public housing institutions will be quarantined for three weeks and residents will be prohibited from meeting family members. (Or Kashti)
5:54 P.M. Plasma from recovered patients to be used for treatment
Israel’s Magen David Adom medical rescue service is preparing to collect blood plasma donations from coronavirus patients who have recovered, in an effort to produce an antibody treatment for COVID-19 patients who are in serious condition.
The evidence on the subject in the medical literature is limited and preliminary at this point. A Chinese military doctor, Shangen Zheng, reported that his team has so far treated 10 patients in Hubei province with plasma, and data from additional patients are being assessed.
Last week in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration approved the experimental use of plasma from recovered coronavirus patients as an emergency treatment for people in critical condition. It is already being used in New York, the largest coronavirus hotspot in the country. (Ido EfratI)
5:27 P.M. Arab city warns of shortages as more test positive
Nazareth hospitals have just 30 intensive care beds, half of them for ventilated patients, despite having to serve a population of a quarter million residents.At least five more patients tested positive for COVID-19 in the city’s English Hospital Monday.
MK Aida Touma-Sliman from the Joint List, along with Adalah civil rights organization, asked the government to transfer more ventilators to the Arab hospitals, warning that “the health ministry’s neglect to test and prepare the Arab population may lead to disaster.” (Jack Khoury)
5:11 P.M. Symbolic Patient 16 makes full recovery
Israel’s first coronavirus patient to be hospitalized in serious condition, Patient 16, has recovered after three and half weeks. Johnny, a 38-year-old tourist bus driver from East Jerusalem was released from Poriya Hospital. He was treated with Remdesivir drug, only approved for compassionate use. (Noa Shpigel)
4:49 P.M. Ultra-Orthodox city tests highest for COVID-19
Data obtained by Haaretz shows a significantly higher number of people testing positive for coronavirus in ultra-Orthodox cities compared to secular Jewish or mixed cities.
In Bnei Brak, 35 percent of coronavirus tests came back positive. The city now has 2.5 confirmed patients per 1000 residents. In Elad and Beitar Illit the numbers were lower but still significantly higher than the national average.
In Jerusalem, ten percent of tests came back positive. It has 0.5 coronavirus patients per 1000 residents, a rate similar to Tel Aviv’s. (Aaron Rabonowitz)
4:29 P.M. Prime minister’s staff self-quarantines
Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Shir Cohen, Director of Prime Minister’s Office Asher Hayoun and political spokesperson Naor Yahia enter voluntary self-quarantine after Knesset Affairs Advisor Rivka Paluch tests positive for COVID-19.
Paluch was in the Knesset Thursday during the vote for Knesset speaker. It is still unclear which legislators she had come into contact with. (Noa Landau)
2:22 P.M. Prime Minister Netanyahu to enter quarantine
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he will enter quarantine along with his close advisers. Netanyahu’s aide on Knesset affairs tested positive for coronavirus on Monday. The PMO said the step was a precaution and is being taken even before the epidemiological investigation has been concluded. (Noa Landau)
Haaretz
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