People wear face masks as they shop in a main market in Jerusalem July 16, 2020. — Reuters pic
People would be allowed to leave their homes this weekend but malls, shops, pools, zoos and museums would shut from this afternoon until Sunday morning, the government said in a statement. On all days, gatherings will be limited to 10 people indoors and 20 outdoors and restaurants would be allowed to serve take-out only, the government said. A further decision on whether to keep summer schools and nurseries open would be made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz.
But with the infection rate rising sharply in the past few weeks, many public health experts said the government had moved too fast while neglecting to take the necessary epidemiological steps to control the pandemic once the economy reopened.