Coronavirus: What will proposed closure look like?

This is what Israel could look like from September 18 until October 15

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Jerusalemites wearing face masks for fear of coronavirus walk on Jaffa road in the City Center of Jerusalem on July 12, 2020. Israel has seen a spike of new COVID-19 cases, cabinet ministers imposed new restrictions on public gatherings in a bid to stem the rising infection rate of the coronavirus (photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Jerusalemites wearing face masks for fear of coronavirus walk on Jaffa road in the City Center of Jerusalem on July 12, 2020. Israel has seen a spike of new COVID-19 cases, cabinet ministers imposed new restrictions on public gatherings in a bid to stem the rising infection rate of the coronavirus
(photo credit: OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90)
Although the final details of the upcoming lockdown will only be determined at the cabinet meeting on Sunday, here are the components of the three-stage plan that the ministers are expected to review.
First stage: Lockdown
September 18 – October 1
  • Restrictions on movement of 500 meters from one’s place of residence
  • Closure of education institutions (except for special education; Grade 5 and up will learn remotely; schools could shut down as early as Wednesday)
  • Closure of restaurants (except takeout and delivery), places of recreation, businesses, commerce and domestic tourism
  • Reduction of public sector workers to 30%; private sector to 10 people or 30%, whichever is higher when they are establishments that do not welcome the public (in some drafts of the plan, places of work are completely shuttered, except essential services and working from home)
  • Prayers in open spaces according to an agreed upon outline
Second stage: Tightened restraint
October 2 – October 15 (though these dates are subject to change depending on the rate of infection)
  • Restrictions on movement between cities
  • Gatherings according to the red zone outline (10 inside, 20 outside)
  • Like 1st stage: closure of education institutions (except for special education; grade five and up will learn remotely; the Education Ministry is pushing for schools to resume by October 11)
  • Closure of restaurants (except takeout and delivery), places of recreation, businesses, commerce and domestic tourism
  • Public and private sectors will work at 30% to 50% capacity at places that do not receive the public (offices, factories, etc.), with work from home as much as possible
Third stage: Traffic light plan
  • Transition to activity according to the traffic light plan upon the conclusion of the first two stages
Notes:
  • The transition from stage to stage will be done following an assessment and provided that a picture of the situation indicates a prominent and continuing trend of decline in morbidity
  • Public transportation will be adapted to the scope of activity in the economy, according to the format used by the Transportation Ministry during the March-April 2020 restrictions
  • The Finance Ministry will – together with the Prime Minister’s Office and the head of the National Economic Council – work to formulate an economic safety net for business owners and citizens that are expected to be further hurt economically as a result of the forthcoming decisions