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Israeli Cabinet extends lockdown

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What happened: The Israeli Cabinet has approved extending the general lockdown for an additional five days until 07:00 on Friday, 5 February.

  • The Cabinet also approved extending the travel ban to and from Israel, apart from exceptions, for an additional seven days, until 7 February at midnight.
  • Earlier yesterday, the Knesset approved a law increasing fines for violating lockdown restrictions. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz had made that step conditional on his party agreeing to extend the lockdown. The law raises the maximum fine for violating coronavirus regulations from 5,000 shekels to 10,000 (£2,216) and allows issuing closure orders for institutions that violate the regulations, including schools.
  • However, many educational institutions in the ultra-Orthodox sector opened again yesterday against the government’s coronavirus restrictions.
  • In addition, two funerals were held in Jerusalem for prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis, attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men, also defying regulations.
  •  This morning the Palestinian Authority (PA) received its first instalment of 2,000 vaccines from Israel to inoculate Palestinian Health Ministry’s medical teams.

Context: One third of Israel’s coronavirus victims passed away in January. According to Health Ministry data, 1,433 people passed away last month, bringing the official death toll to 4,796. Thirty-one more patients passed away on Sunday.

  • 5,140 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after 54,737 tests had been conducted, bringing the infection rate to 9.7 per cent.
  • The infection rate in the ultra-Orthodox sector is 20.1 per cent.
  • At least 1,140 patients are in serious condition, of whom 315 are on ventilators. Health officials said 30.6 per cent of patients hospitalised in serious condition are below the age of 59.
  • The vaccination drive is continuing, with 131,000 people vaccinated on Sunday, taking the total to almost 3.1 million, of whom 1.8 million received both doses of the vaccine.
  • The images of thousands of ultra-Orthodox men attending the funeral yesterday has further exacerbated many secular Israelis who see them breaking the law with impunity.
  • Security officials have strongly advocated giving the PA several thousand Pfizer vaccine doses, with Defence Minister Gantz acting on the recommendation by Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rokon.
  • This is to be the first time that Israel will be giving the PA a significant number of vaccines. Several weeks ago, Israel delivered around 100 vaccines that were to be used in humanitarian cases.
  • The decision to give the PA vaccines makes Israel the first country in the world to agree to give away some of the vaccines it has for its population.

Looking ahead: The Cabinet will reconvene on Wednesday for an additional discussion on whether it is necessary to further extend the lockdown.

  • Israel is expected to supply the PA with an additional 3,000 doses in the coming days.
  • The PA is also due to receive thousands of vaccines from Russia. The shipment has been delayed due to technical difficulties. According to PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinians are expecting to receive a shipment of 50,000 vaccines from a number of sources, in the next couple of weeks.