12-18 July
17 July - 7:47am
- 1,871 cases of the Coronavirus were diagnosed, in Israel yesterday. A total of 46,059 cases have been diagnosed since the onset of the pandemic. Israel has 25,305 active cases of the coronavirus. 202 are in serious or critical condition, 58 of them are intubated. The total death rate in this country as a direct result of the coronavirus has climbed to 384 - 8 additional deaths in the last 24 hours - Worldometer
- The government approves new restrictions
From 5pm this afternoon (JPost)
- Gatherings of 10 people in closed spaces or 20 people in open spaces
- Gyms and studios used for sports or dance activities (except for use by competitive athletes) - closed
- Restaurants: for takeaway and deliveries only
- Workplace cafeterias for pickup only
- Government offices will cut 50% of their staff who will continue to work outside the office or will be placed on leave
- Public reception at government offices also to be reduced.
Weekend restrictions: Fridays from 5 pm until Sundays at 5 am
- From next weekend beaches will be closed (this weekend they will remain open)
- Stores, malls, retail markets, hairdressers, beauty salons, libraries, zoos, museums, pools and other tourist attractions will be closed. Grocery stores, pharmacies and those deemed 'essential' will remain open, optical stores and computer and communications repair shops will also remain open. Hotel pools with accessibility to guests only can operate.
- Hotel restaurants will be able to continue operating at 35% capacity.
- The decision with regards to summer camps and other educational programs has been postponed until some time next week. Netanyahu, Gantz, finance-, health- and education-ministers still to deliberate.
Shabbat candle lighting times
16 July - 17:55pm
- IDF Maj.-Gen. Amir Abuafia appointed as the new head of Israel's coronavirus authority
- The chairman of the Israeli Public Health Physicians Association Prof. Hagai Levine criticized the government's expected decision to lock down certain areas to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, saying that "if a sweeping decision is made to lockdown on weekends or prevent access to open spaces, it does not make epidemiological sense." - JPost
16 July - 15:00pm
Urgent Knesset meeting to discuss weekend lockdowns - final approval expected this evening
- Lockdowns will commence Friday morning and end Sunday morning
- Gatherings of 20 people in open spaces and no more than 10 in closed spaces (including houses of worship)
- Restaurants - not sit down dining, deliveries only
- Beaches and malls will be closed
- All summer camps will be closed beginning Sunday.
- Public transport may also be affected
The Israeli head of the World Medical Association, Professor Leonid Eidelman said Thursday that another nationwide lockdown would be the government's admission that it has failed in the battle against coronavirus. - YNet
16 July - 7:27am
- 1,828 cases of the Coronavirus were diagnosed, in Israel, on Wednesday. A total of 44,188 cases have been diagnosed since the onset of the pandemic. Israel has 23,923 active cases of the coronavirus. 205 are in serious or critical condition, 57 of them are intubated. The total death rate in this country as a direct result of the coronavirus has climbed tot 376 - 5 additional deaths in the last 24 hours - Worldometer
- Netanyahu: People are getting infected because they do not observe the directives (masks and social distancing) at demonstrations. "It's simply a disaster".
- Benny Gantz: The statistics for Corona are growing - we do not want to get to a situation where we have to go back into lockdown. A lockdown will only happen once every other avenue has been explored.
- Yuli Edelstein: If there isn't a miracle in the next few days, we will be in lockdown.
- The Ministry of Health: Those who do not present symptoms of the coronavirus will not be eligible for the virus test. (In other words - asymptomic patients will not get tested and sick people will continue to infect others)
- Bibi Netanyahu and Yisrael Katz, last night, announced details of the latest stipend to be paid to citizens:
- Families with 3 or more children will receive 3,000NIS
- Families with 2 children will receive 2,5000NIS
- Families with 1 child will receive 2,000NIS
- All others, over the age of 18 can expect to receive a 750NIS grant
- The grant is to be paid within days via Bituach Leumi
- Reaction to the plan - mostly strong criticism - it is not effective and will hurt the economy
- Ministers from the Blue and White Party called the program “populism instead of real help,”
- Itzik Shmuli, Minister of Welfare, “it would be better for helicopters to take that cash and scatter the money where they really need it instead of throwing it from the clouds.”.
- Moshe Gafni, MK, United Torah Judaism: "Why do we have to give money to the rich?"
- Yoav Hendel, MK, Supports the pumping of funds into the economy but "Compensation should be given to those who are most in need"
- Keren Turner, Director General of the Finance Ministry is against the latest plan
- Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg praises Netanyahu: "The grant is the right thing to do, and it’s right that it be universal. It will give families money to spend on a shrinking economy and businesses that need it.”
- Shaul Meridor, head of the Finance Ministry’s budget division, warned in a heated exchange: “This is not a very smart way to distribute money. We need to be careful not to become Venezuela,” Netanyahu calls for his dismissal. (Shaul is the son of MK Dan Meridor)
- Police do not give approval for demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night. Their official response "It's a public health hazard"
15 July - 7:21am
- 1,728 cases of the Coronavirus were diagnosed, in Israel, on Tuesday. A total of 42,360 cases have been diagnosed since the onset of the pandemic. Israel has 22,324 active cases of the coronavirus. 183 are in serious or critical condition, 56 of them are intubated. The total death rate in this country as a direct result of the coronavirus has climbed tot 371 - Worldometer
- The unemployment rate now stands at 21% - N12
- Violent outbursts at the "Black Flags" demonstration in Jerusalem last night in front of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's official residence on Balfour St. Crowds were brought under control with water cannons. Protestors call on Netanyahu to resign.
- Senior members of the MOH: We are days away from lockdown.
- Possible restrictions Israel mulls limiting gatherings to 10 people, shuttering restaurants and synagogues. :
- Thousands of small business owners receive a grant this morning - for the majority it is nowhere near the 7,500NIS cap that was promised. It will be much harder for most to get the next grant as eligibility is narrowed.
- Scientists at Hebrew U and Mount Sinai Medical Center experts claimed in a new research that the FDA-approved drug called "Fenofibrate" (Tricor), used to treat high cholesterol, could make the effects of COVID-19 feel like a common cold or eradicate it from the lungs altogether. - YNet
- International news
- Hot-spot South Africa overtakes the UK with 298,292 total number of corona cases -10,496 cases were diagnosed there yesterday
- Italian company Moderna claiming promising results with their corona vaccine. All going well, they claim that they will be able to supply a billion doses of the vaccine in 2021.
14 July - 7:58am
- We start our morning with Worldometer's latest figures for Israel: 1,962 cases were diagnosed in Israel yesterday. A total of 40,632 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed since the onset of the pandemic. Israel has 20,872 active cases of the coronavirus. 183 are in serious or critical condition - a significant jump since Monday, 54 of them are intubated. The total death rate in this country as a direct result of the coronavirus has climbed tot 365.
- Ministry of Health are troubled by the reopening of public swimming pools and fitness centers today - they are central points of infection
- The MOH: There is no escaping another lockdown.
- Small business owners are outraged by the actual amount of the grant they are supposed to receive by Wednesday. Only 1/3rd will see the full amount of 7,500 NIS, 1/3rd will see about 3,000 NIS, and the rest will be amounts in between or even less than that. A second demonstration on Saturday night is being called for.
- The elite IDF intelligence unit - 8200, reports 100 coronavirus patients within the unit - soldiers and officers. It is understood that many of them were infected while on army leave.
- Coronavirus Committee Chairwoman MK Yifat Shasha-Biton (Likud) facing disciplinary action following her refusal to accept the Health Ministry's recommendation to keep pools and gyms closed.
- International News:
- WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus "I want to be straight with you: there will be no return to the 'old normal' for the foreseeable future,"
- Total number of cases diagnosed worldwide now stands at 13,240,427 with just under 5 million active cases. The world death rate is just under 600,000.
13 July - 6:30am
- 1,206 cases were diagnosed, in Israel, on Sunday. A total of 38,670 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed since the onset of the pandemic. Israel has 19,300 active cases of the coronavirus. 151 are in serious or critical condition, 47 of them are intubated. The total death rate in this country as a direct result of the coronavirus has climbed tot 362 - Worldometer
- The unemployment rate rises to 21% (the peak in April was 27.6%) - N12
- 400,000 self employed and small business owners receive confirmation by SMS that they are to receive a grant by Wednesday. The message reads "On Wednesday 15.7.20 your account will be credited with a grant in an amount as decided by the government". The maximum grant is 7,500 NIS but the average is far less.
- President of Bank of Israel: The economic plan will result in the worst deficit since the 1980's
- The Corona Cabinet to meet this afternoon to discuss lifting some of the latest restrictions. Latest statistics show that very small numbers of people are infected in gyms,swimming pools and bars.
- Senior members in the government to the Chairman of the Corona Cabinet: "If you cut back on restrictions, lockdowns will return"
- After all had been closed, three Corona hotels to open again on Tuesday
- Excessive police enforcement reported within the Haredi community during a coronavirus lockdown protest in Jerusalem. Police are denying these claims saying "the police act with equal enforcement regardless of the sector."
- A Channel 13 poll:
- 75% felt that the country was not handling the economic crisis well, 16% said that is was being dealt with well and 9% had no opinion
- 61% are not satisfied with the Prime Minister's handling of the corona crisis, 19% are fairly satisfied and 15% are completely satisfied.
- 38% are very fearful of financial instability while 48% have some concerns
- The country has lost faith in the emergency government and the Prime Minister
12 July - 7:09am
- In the last week more than 7,000 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed in Israel and of them 1,198 cases were diagnosed on Saturday. A total of 37,464 cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed since the onset of the pandemic. Israel has 18,296 active cases of the coronavirus. 134 are in serious or critical condition, 49 of them are intubated (10 more than on Friday). The total death rate in Israel as a direct result of the coronavirus now stands at 354. - Worldometer
- Thousands protest against the economic plight of the self-employed in a demonstration in Rabin Square,Tel Aviv on Saturday night. Hundreds blocked roads and demonstrated in the streets of Tel Aviv. During the demonstration 19 people were arrested and 3 policemen were slightly injured
- The new economic plan presented by the Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister of Finance, Yisrael Katz is to be brought to the Knesset for discussion today.
- The first stage of the economic plan is to give the self-employed another grant of up to 7,500 NIS. The payment will be made between Sunday and Wednesday
- Laboratories are collapsing and not coping with coronavirus testing demands. From today the Ministry of Health to cut down on testing. Health Funds are making it harder to get tested which means that people will continue to be infected but many will go undiagnosed.
- Diaspora news:
- Number of cases in South Africa double in the past two weeks. Medical grade oxygen and oxygen concentrators are being bought up by private businesses and individuals
- Florida, USA, daily new cases have nearly doubled and intensive care capacity is full at more than 40 hospitals across the state
- Victoria, Australia back in lockdown. Australians returnng home will be charged for a compulsory two-week hotel quarantine.
- The number of new cases in the United Kingdom remains below 1,000 per day for the last two weeks
- Canada - 27,308 active cases