20-26 December
25 December - 7:51am
As we've already learned, lockdown directives change on a daily basis and until lockdown begins on Sunday at 5pm the restrictions are likely to change. This is the latest:
- Lockdown is planned for two weeks but according the numbers, it is most likely to be extended to a 3rd or even 4th week.
- Limitation on movement - up to 1,000m from home except under special circumstances.
- Individual sport - like jogging, is possible and there is no distance restriction.
- No visiting or staying at the homes of others
- Kindergartens, daycare, special ed, Grades 1 - 4 and 11th and 12th grades - will operate as usual while grades 5 to 10 will learn remotely. There could be changes to this as public pressure to keep the entire education system operational, grows.
- Food deliveries only - no take-aways
- Hotels and zimmerim will shutter and Eilat and the Dead Sea resorts - the 'green islands' - will also shutter.
- Shops, malls and markets to shutter as well as beauty salons. essential services will remain open.
- Public transport will operate with a maximum of 50% capacity
- Police will be concentrating their efforts on crowd control - 10 people indoors and 20 outdoors is the directive.
- It looks like the mutated virus is gaining foothold in Israel and there is fear that tens of cases are positive. The MOH is preparing to set up a national laboratory that will be charged with tracking the mutation. Special isolation facilities for those diagnosed with the mutation, are to be put in place.
- Aside from Britain and South Africa (and now Israel), the mutation has also been discovered in Germany and Ireland. Vaccine manufacturers; Pfizer and Moderna are confident that their vaccines will be effective in the battle against the mutated virus.
- A special dispensation requested of the Rabbis to allow vaccination to continue on Shabbat, has been refused.
- Yesterday's stats - Worldometer & Israel MOH
- 389,678 total cases recorded since the onset of the pandemic
- 31,834 active cases
- 3,985 newly diagnosed cases yesterday
- 98,409 tests performed yesterday with a 4.1% positivity rate
- 506 in serious condition of which 128 are reported to be intubated
- 21 deaths recorded yesterday - total death toll: 3,171
- 42,367 cases per million population
- Seven day, moving average of newly diagnosed cases - 3,101
- Shabbat candle lighting times - Shabbat Shalom!
24 December - 4.03pm
- It's official! In the early hours of today it was decided that the third lockdown would commence on Sunday, December 27th at 5pm. The lockdown will last for 2 weeks and if necessary it will be extended. The goal is to reach less than 1,000 new daily cases of the coronavirus.
- The latest directives for the lockdown, which still have to be be approved by the cabinet before Friday evening include:
- Limitation on movement - up to 1,000m from home except under special circumstances. Children of divorced parents will be allowed to move between households.
- No visiting or staying at the homes of others
- Gatherings limited to 10 people inside and 20 people outside
- Shuttering of the marketplace - malls, markets and shops as well as entertainment venues. Supermarkets and pharma to remain open.
- Essential food deliveries are permissible - take-aways are shuttered
- Minimizing staff at the workplace - non-public facing businesses will be able to operate at 50% capacity
- Public transport - maximum occupancy of 50%
- Kindergartens and schools; only grade 1 to grade 4 will operate as well as 11th and 12 grades between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., the rest of the education system will operate remotely. Special education will not be affected. Parents will be able to leave their children at school between 7am and 2pm.
- Individual sporting activities will be allowed
- Court system will remain operational
- The Eilat and Dead Sea “green islands” will cease to operate
- Israel's vaccination program continues and leads the way as the country with the most vaccinations per capita in the world. Over 140,000 Israelis have already been vaccinated.
- Since the beginning of the week some 70,000 people have already been vaccinated in Israel. Many of Israel's elderly are struggling to make their way to vaccination centers. It is hoped that a solution to this problem and the long queues at vaccination centers will be found.
- All travelers entering Israel will be required to isolate in corona hotels for two weeks.
23 December - 7:12am
- In the shadow of the coronavirus, the newly discovered mutation, a peak in daily diagnosed cases and an imminent lockdown, Israel's Knesset crumbles and dissolves last night after no agreement on the 2020 budget issue is reached. Israel will go to the polls for the 4th time in two years on March 23rd, 2021. The logistics of an election under the current health crisis is likely to be hugely challenging. The question on everyone's minds is how corona patients will vote?
- Israel's 3rd lockdown is expected to commence next weekend and will be in place for 3 weeks. The corona cabinet is expected to meet today to finalize details. Is a 3rd lockdown necessary? The infection rate is rising rapidly and the number of patients in serious condition has risen considerably and now there is the mutation to deal with as well.
- Drug-maker, Pfizer announces that their vaccination will be effective in fighting the mutated covid-19 virus. If necessary, the vaccine can be altered with ease and it will take only 6 weeks to do so.
- Astra Zenica also announced last night, that their vaccine will be effective against the new strain of covid-19
- Israel's vaccination program: Yuli Edelstein, Minister of Health, announces that 71,876 people have already been vaccinated. Currently ages 60+ are getting the vaccine.
- A Maccabi Healthcare Services pharmacist was accidentally injected Tuesday with a full vile of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. Following the incident, the pharmacist was transferred to the hospital for supervision but was released to his home after not displaying any adverse side effects.
- Truckers from Britain, where the mutated virus is rapidly gaining foothold, will be able to enter France after presenting a negative coronavirus test. Hundreds of trucks enter France daily.
- Yesterday's stats - Worldometer & Israel MOH
- 382,487 total cases recorded since the onset of the pandemic
- 28,165 active cases
- 3,753 newly diagnosed cases yesterday
- 93,957 tests performed yesterday with a 4.1% positivity rate
- 499 in serious condition of which 116 are reported to be intubated
- 25 deaths recorded yesterday - total death toll: 3,136
- 41,126 cases per million population
- Seven day, moving average of newly diagnosed cases - 3,122
22 December - 7:00am
- Numbers of covid-19 cases continues to rise in Israel. Dr. Sharon Elroy-Price, Head of Public Health at the MOH: Every delay, means lengthier and harsher restrictions further down the line
- The Corona Cabinet has still not reached a decision. It is still unknown if Israel will lockdown for a third time.
- Prof. Ash - the Corona Commissioner: Delays in making a decision will cost human lives
- Commencing Wednesday evening at 10:00pm all travelers entering Israel will be required to go into isolation in a corona hotel. Thousands of Israelis are trying to return to Israel, prior to their scheduled travel dates before this regulation comes into effect tomorrow.
- Yesterday's stats - Worldometer & Israel MOH
- 378,259 total cases recorded since the onset of the pandemic
- 26,275 active cases
- 3,449 newly diagnosed cases yesterday
- 71,248 tests performed yesterday with a 4.4% positivity rate
- 463 in serious condition of which 115 are reported to be intubated
- 12 deaths recorded yesterday - total death toll: 3,111
- 41,586 cases per million population
- Seven day, moving average of newly diagnosed cases - 2,679
21 December - 6:30am
- Will Israel enter a third lockdown instead of tightening the current restrictions? This is the current dilemma of the corona cabinet who met yesterday. The meeting ended without a decision.
- Netanyahu favors a third lockdown as does the Deputy Chief of MALAL - the National Security Council rather than a tightening of restrictions.
- The new mutated covid-19 virus is another reason for lockdown - so say those close to PM Bibi Netanyahu
- Day 2 of the vaccination program continues with those in the 60+ age group now being vaccinated. The Kupot Holim report that some 100,000 appointments have already been set for the next few days and that vaccine delivery logistics may hamper their schedule. Millions of vaccines are expected to arrive in Israel before the end of December.
- Even though vaccination has begun, senior officials at the MOH warn that the wearing of masks, practicing social distancing and hand hygiene with be with us at least until summer 2021.
- Turkey,Canada and France join the list of countries that are no longer allowing travelers to and from Britain.
- Yesterday's stats - Worldometer & Israel MOH
- 374,760 total cases recorded since the onset of the pandemic
- 23,555 active cases
- 1,871 newly diagnosed cases yesterday
- 62,052 tests performed yesterday with a 3.4% positivity rate
- 455 in serious condition of which 116 are reported to be intubated
- 25 deaths recorded yesterday - total death toll:3,099
- 40,745 cases per million population
- Seven day, moving average of newly diagnosed cases - 2,512
20 December - 8:26am
- Shehechiyanu, Vekiyimanu V'higiyanu L'Zman Hazeh - '...who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion' - The blessing of thanks we might want to say today as Israel's vaccination program gets underway with hospital workers receiving the vaccine (full blessing here). The Prime Minister, and Minister of Health were vaccinated on Saturday night, after Shabbat. Others vaccinated this morning; Minister of Finance Israel Katz, Rabbi Yisrael Lau (previously Chief Rabbi of Israel) and Prof. Roni Gamzu the previous Corona Commissioner.
- Each vial of the vaccine contains 5 doses.
- Work on the blue and white vaccine developed by the Israel Biological Institute is still in progress.
- All countries are labelled 'red' as of today. Travelers returning to Israel or entering Israel will be required to enter quarantine. Following the discovery of a coronavirus mutation, travelers from the UK will not be allowed entry to Israel
- Two-day weekend stats - Worldometer & Israel MOH
- 372,886 total cases recorded since the onset of the pandemic
- 24,223 active cases
- 5,291 newly diagnosed cases over the weekend
- 151,815 tests performed over the weekend with a 3.4% positivity rate
- 447 in serious condition of which 113 are reported to be intubated
- 24 deaths recorded over the weekend - total death toll: 3,074
- 40,542 cases per million population
- Seven day, moving average of newly diagnosed cases - 2,443 (in two weeks, this number has doubled)