Last Updated on March 19, 2020

Covid-19 Coronavirus – Israel’s daily updates – March 2020.

Have you recovered from Corona? The blood bank at Magen David Adom (MADA) is asking everyone who has recovered from the corona virus (after 2 negative tests) please to be in touch with them and volunteer to donate blood. The blood will be separated and the plasma extracted. The plasma will be used for vaccine purposes.  TEL:03-5300445

31.03.20

• 4,695 confirmed cases, 17 deaths, 78 in serious condition and 68 of them on ventilators, 90 in a moderate condition, 4,349 with mild symptoms, 161 recovered
• Government approves a string of new restrictions

30.03.20

• Today’s statistics: 4247 confirmed cases, 15 deaths,  74 in serous condition – 59 on ventilators, 82 in moderate condition, 3,944 with mild symptoms, 132 recovered
• The PM would like to expand restrictions – a decision to be made today
• The PM’s advisor on Haredi matters has been diagnosed with Corona
• Police are talking about full closure in certain ultra-orthodox communities
• IDF is willing to act further in controlling the spread of Corona
• Five residents of the ‘Mishan’ retirement home in Beer Sheva are infected. One has passed away.  Only 20 of a total of 200 residents and staff members have been tested
• You can ‘Zoom’ on Pesach
• A 6,000 shekel grant approved for the self-employed
• 15 million face masks on their way to Israel
• The maximum price of government price controlled 95 octane gasoline at self-service pumps in Israel will fall by NIS 1.03 to NIS 4.89 per liter on Tuesday night, April 1.

29.03.20

• Unemployed expected to reach 1 million by Pesach
• 3,619 confirmed cases, 12 deaths, 54 in serious condition, 81 in moderate condition and 89 have recovered.
• Israeli tourist dies in Italy.
• Three more residents of “HaMishan” retirement complex taken ill
• Netanyahu in favor of further restrictions which will be announced tonight – until after Pesach
• Fears that restrictions will be ignored because of Pesach
• Further 20% restrictions on labor force expected
• Banks will open for limited transactions
• Police roadblocks expected
• Stricter regulations at supermarkets and food outlets
• Remote learning options to be increased
• Health Ministry will increase the number of people it tests for coronavirus to 30,000 per day within a month
• Police have issued 1,296 fines to date to individuals and businesses who defied Health Ministry directives
• 500 soldiers to assist police

26.03.20

• Bibi Netanyahu – “If we do not take heed of the directives, we will find ourselves with thousands of sick people”.  Full lock-down on the cards.
• 2369 confirmed cases – more than 300 than yesterday, 5 deaths, 39 in serious condition, 64 in moderate condition, 2,197 with light symptoms, 64 have recovered
• The number of corona cases doubles every 3 days
• Health Ministry official Dr. Vered Ezra said on Wednesday, “We have thousands of beds and ventilators prepared and are in the process of procuring additional equipment,”
• Unemployment rises to above 20 percent
• Netanyahu to announce details of stimulus package
• 8 army battalions in training to provide back-up during this time
• Only 25 percent of the regular bus service is operational
• All trains cancelled
• Further to yesterday’s directive for prayer services – no indoor services allowed
• DST comes into effect tonight – Thursday/Friday (instructions to update your phone manually)
• Daniel proposes to Yafit on their rescue flight from Australia to Israel – she said YES!

25.03.20

16:40pm

• Update – new restrictions come into effect at 5pm – not 8pm as originally reported
• Visits to the Mikveh need to be pre-arranged
• Online sale with shipping for all types of products but must be delivered to private homes and placed outside the residence
• People can go to work as per MOH guideline. Employers must check the temperature of all those arriving. Anyone with a temperature of more than 38 degrees Celsius must be refused entry.
• A two 2-meter distance between people at checkout lines must be kept.
• 2,030 confirmed cases – that’s 100 up on this morning’s statistic

10.00am

• 5 people in Israel have succumbed to the Coronavirus

8:30am 

From Wednesday evening at 8pm the following restrictions on movement will come into place – Channel 13 reports:

• No walking more than 100 meters from home except for food and pharma, medical treatments, social services and court proceedings.
• Public transport will be significantly reduced and may only be used for approved purposes.
• Taxis still operational as per MOH limitations – only the driver and one passenger allowed.
• Trade to cease except for food, pharma and optics. Gas stations and banks operating
• Food deliveries allowed but no take-aways or self pick-up from restaurants
• Prayer services, weddings, funerals and Britot Milah – no more than 10 people
• Minor children of divorced parents are allowed to be moved from one parent to another
• 6 month prison sentence or a fine for offenders
• Remote learning for pupils will continue following an agreement reached between teachers and the teacher’s union
• Today’s statistics: 1930 infected with the virus, 4 deaths, 34 in serious condition. 135,000 Israelis have spent time in quarantine and the Health Ministry reports that  71,029 people are in isolation.  Ynet reports that 45 are in moderate condition and 1,795 have light symptoms. At least 53 people have recovered from the illness, a significant increase over the recent days. There are 349 people in hospital, 652 are being treated at home, 161 are being treated in a specially designated hotel and 712 are awaiting a decision on how they will be treated.
• In the last 24 hours, more than 3,700 people were screened and as of Tuesday morning the MOH reported that  27,054 tests had been taken as of Tuesday morning.

24.03.20

• 1442  confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Israel; 29 in serious condition, 40 in moderate condition including a 2 month old (a preemie) baby and tens of Chabadniks who came from the USA
• Discussions to increase limitations on the public is set to continue today.  On the agenda; no private trading, essential services to conform to restrictions, food and pharma stores to remain open – all others to close, public transport to cease, food delivery (take-aways) – undecided, no outside sporting activities, Final decisions are expected later today.
• Movement restricted – no more than 100m from home except to purchase food or pharma or go to your workplace as per regulations.  A request to limit this to 50m is on the table.
• Israelis stranded in Italy returned home
• Drive-in testing stations open in Haifa, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva
• The motion to extend  winter time was rejected.  The clock will move forward at the end of this week.

23.03.20

• 1071 is the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Israel
• Two month old baby in serious condition
• MOH promises to increase testing
• Health Ministry Deputy Director Prof. Itamar Grotto estimated Sunday evening that some 10,000-20,000 Israelis would die from the coronavirus in the worst-case scenario
• The state appealed to El Al Airlines on Sunday to issue rescue flights to recover hundreds of Israelis stranded in Australia and South America due to the coronavirus crisis
• Fruit and vegetable markets closed
• More than half a million now unemployed in Israel
• 30 Israelis who returned from Peru, refused to check themselves into self-quarantine.  Police are following up.
• British ear, nose and throat doctors have called on adults who lose their sense of smell to isolate themselves for seven days, even if they have no other symptoms, as studies indicate that a loss of smell and taste could be a symptom of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
• Some good news, the Water Authority reported on Monday that the water level in the Sea of Galilee rose by 9 cm and reached a height of 209.31 meters below sea level

22.03.20

• 945 confirmed cases in Israel
• The week begins as before – expected expansion of health restrictions did not materialize.  However, enforcement of MOH’s regulations to be intensified
• Drive-thru testing lab opens Monday in Haifa (Congress Center)
• Tel-Aviv’s Carmel market and Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market to remain open as of now.
• Non-organized sporting activities now limited to 2 people
• Coronavirus testing in Arab communities is limited
• Israir schedules 2 flights to Italy to bring Israelis home and airlines around the globe follow Israel’s lead by airlifting nationals back to their countries before airports shut down altogether
• Today’s cabinet meeting to be cancelled

21.03.20

• Israel records its first fatality. 705 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Israel
• El Al has organized a Saturday night flight for those Israelis stranded in India, now that countries are closing their borders
• Israelis in Australia and New Zealand ask to be returned
• Mossad brings 100,000 test kits into Israel from abroad but some components are missing!
• Gantz promises that Knesset will be back and up and running on Monday
• Lieberman urges members of transitional government to take salary cuts as a show of solidarity for the expected  1 million Israelis facing unemployment
• Conflicting reports of testing labs closed on Shabbat
• 65,000 “attended” an online protest against Netanyahu and Edelstein’s actions of shuttering parliament this week

20.03.20

• 677 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Israel.  89 year old woman, resident of Migdal Nofim, in serious condition.
• Israel wakes up to new lockdown regulations after Netanyahu announces enforcement
• Israel Police expected to boost presence on Friday
• If you receive a SMS text message advising that your case is under observation or instructing you to enter isolation, call *5400 (Ministry of Health hotline) for verification with  ur Teudat Zehut number.
• Some 1,100 Israelis return from Peru on 4 special flights.

19.03.20

• As number of infected passes the 500-mark, with six in critical condition, Health Ministry instructs country’s hospitals to prepare for thousands of patients.
• Since the beginning of March 333,000 job-seekers have registered for financial assistance. 86% of those who applied for financial assistance were sent on unpaid leave. More than half of those applying (53%) were men.
• Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef sent Health Minister Yaakov Litzman a ruling of Jewish Law on Wednesday, calling on people to leave their phones on during Shabbat.
• Still no clear decisions for remote learning and summer holidays for  2 million students in Israel’s education system. Teachers’ wages still under discussion.
• The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, a governmental body responsible for the administration of  the Western Wall (Kotel) has announced the religious holy site will remain open.

18.03.20

• No new cases of Coronavirus reported in Wuhan in China
• Netanyahu threatens lockdown as coronavirus patients reach 433
• 50,337 Israelis currently in quarantine
• Eurovision 2020 cancelled.

017.03.20 

• 324 is the number of diagnosed Coronavirus cases in Israel.
• Visiting parks, beaches, pools, libraries and museums is now prohibited as are all social interactions.  The MOH says social interactions should be conducted on the phone or by other digital means. Group sports and workout classes are also all cancelled effective immediately.
• All dental procedures should be rescheduled unless it is an emergency.
• Delivery services may not enter your home, only deliveries to the front door are allowed.
• Corona ‘hotels’ open their doors.
• A series of new directives announced by P.M. Bibi Netanyahu and M.K. Moshe Kahlon

16.03.20  

• 250 in Israel infected with coronavirus, 4 in serious condition. The Health Ministry says not only the number of diagnoses is up by 37 since Sunday, but more worryingly, the number of those with complications from COVID-19 continues to rise as well; senior member of Israel’s central lab for coronavirus tests has been infected

15.03.20

• The government Sunday approved a fine NIS 5,000 ($1,364) for anyone found in violation of quarantine regulations.  Police and local city inspectors will be authorized to enforce public safety and fine citizens in violation of government directives.
• Due to coronavirus, Israel Electric Corporation won’t disconnect clients
• Donal Trump tests negative for Coronavirus

14.03.20

• Israel P.M. – Netanyahu announces a series of new emergency regulations for Coronavirus

12.03.20

• Number of coronavirus patients in Israel rises to 100.
• More than 4,000 students and and educational staff are under quarantine.
• New guidelines from Israel MOH for Coronavirus.

11.03.20   

• WHO declares Covid-19 a pandemic
• Israel bans public gatherings of more than 100 people
• 75 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Israel.  The youngest is 9 years old.  Approximately 25,000 people in self-quarantine.

10.03.20

• Ben Gurion train station closes from 11.03.20
• Israel’s Ministry of Transport announced new directives for public transport throughout the country, including a ban on standing passengers on intercity trips.  Passengers are also forbidden from sitting in the front row of seats.  Windows are to be kept open as much as possible.

09.03.20

• Israel clamps down on all travelers.  Everyone entering Israel – residents and tourists – now have to self quarantine for 14 days.  This regulation will be reassessed in two weeks.
• Egypt added to the list of restricted travel.

08.03.20

• San Marino and Andorra added to list of restricted travel. USA states pending.

05.03.20

• Just announced: New Health Ministry app. The new CoronApp includes updated guidelines, latest announcements, info on locations visited by the recently diagnosed, user submitted questions and more.  The app is currently available with English-language menus but its content is in Hebrew.
• Some 50,000 Israelis are in self-quarantine.

04.03.20

• Rabbi David Lau, Chief Rabbi of Israel announced this afternoon and recommended that the public refrain from kissing and touching mezuzzot.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and health minister Yaakov Litzman extended the self-quarantine ruling to France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and Austria.
• Litzman also announced restrictions on gatherings of over 5,000 people.
• Three new cases of Coronavirus in Israel announced today by the Israeli Ministry of Health.