A sweeping new lockdown has gone into effect in Israel today, as daily infections of Covid-19 have soared to a record high.
There were 1,376 recorded coronavirus deaths as of Thursday evening, with 685 patients in serious condition, including 175 on ventilators.
59 people died in the 24-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday evening, after two consecutive days that saw over 6,000 new confirmed infections.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the country is at “the edge of the abyss”.
The new measures, which parliament must approve, will see more workplaces close and movement restricted further. Under the measures, synagogues will only be able to open for small groups next week for Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, and the size of protests will be limited.
The lockdown is set to last for two weeks, including the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. It may be extended if infection rates do not slow considerably.
Last Friday, as new cases reached daily highs of more than 5,000, Israel became the first developed country to return to a nationwide lockdown.
Schools were closed and Israelis were told they had to stay within 1km of their homes, except for commuting to work, doing essential shopping, exercising outdoors, and attending religious services and protests.
