IDF troops to once again help police enforce lockdown

Like during the first wave, troops will help police in the 30 red zones.

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
IDF to help Israel Police enforce coronavirus restrictions (Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
IDF troops will once again help Israel Police enforce lockdown regulations in the 30 “red” cities and neighborhoods which have seen a significant spike in coronavirus cases.
Following a request from the Police and the Public Security Ministry, 500 troops will be assigned to the police starting on Monday, the head of the IDF’s Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Uri Gordin said on Friday.
Similar to the first wave, troops will not be armed and will help police enforce the lockdown by providing an increase in manpower.
The decision was one of many that were made to support the red cities around the country, including increasing the number of coronavirus tests and epidemiological investigations in them, as well as information campaigns for citizens and support for the elderly and at-risk populations.
According to Gordin, there are currently 300 soldiers who qualified last week to carry out the epidemiological investigations. Up to 400 more students in the Health Ministry began doing investigations this past week, along with another 1,000-1,300 individuals who have been carrying out the epidemiological investigations until now.
“The total will reach around 2,000; that is the goal,” Gordin said, adding that “this is enough manpower to be effective in the desired locations.”
The military will also increase the quarantine capacity in coronavirus hotels and will provide all those who self-quarantine with all their needs, such as food and medicine.
There are some 2,000-2,500 reservists currently mobilized for the Home Front Command – and starting this week another 500 will join, including doctors.
“We’ve had a significant second wave – I’m talking about since early July,” Gordin said. “Then basically from mid-July until last week, there was a decrease in morbidity for five weeks.” Similar to the nationwide trend, there was an upward trend in the number of IDF cases this week.
According to the Home Front Command head, the country is “trying to avoid a total lockdown as much as possible during the holidays, but it requires cooperation from citizens,” including the heads of the ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities where there has particularly been an increase in cases.
The coronavirus cabinet ruled that starting on Monday, movement in the red zones will be restricted to 500 meters from home; schools will be closed except for special education and preschools; entry and exit will be banned except for essential workers; and most businesses and retail shops will be closed except for essential services.