Jerusalem, Dec 24: Israel will impose a third national lockdown to fight surging COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday, as the country pursues a vaccination campaign.
The restrictions will come into effect on Sunday evening and last for 14 days, pending final cabinet approval, a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.
They include the closure of shops, limited public transport, a partial shutdown of schools and a one-kilometre (two-thirds of a mile) restriction on travel from home, except for commuting to workplaces that remain open, and to purchase essential goods.
Such measures will cost Israel’s economy about three billion shekels ($932.6 million) a week, the Finance Ministry said.
“This closure will erase us. We passed two, now the third will kill us. To hell with it,” said Ovadia, a fruit stand vendor in a Tel Aviv market. He declined to give his full name.
