Israeli Energy Minister Calls for ‘Immediate’ Lockdown

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz on Monday called for an “immediate” total lockdown to be imposed throughout Israel for at least 10 days, saying this would be the most efficient and cost-effective way to battle the ongoing surge in coronavirus cases. Steinitz, a prominent Likud member of parliament and one of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s closest advisers, explained that short-term, extreme measures are preferable in the long run, noting that “it’s better sooner rather than later,” and warning of an imminent economic collapse. “Netanyahu admitted some mistakes were made after the first wave was dealt with,” the minister acknowledged. “We opened things up too quickly.” More than 1,150 new cases were reported in Israel over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active patients close to 20,000, at least 150 of them in serious condition.