Israel’s COVID-19 Cases Leap by 40% in 24 Hours

Israel’s Health Ministry on Wednesday announced 90 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the country’s total to 427, an overnight increase of some 40%. It is believed that at least some of the jump stems from a rise in testing, which critics say has been the weak link in the country’s efforts to gain control of the outbreak. Israel was one of the first nations to ban foreigners arriving from China and other locales hard-hit by the pandemic, with arrivals from other countries – citizens and non-citizens alike – being sent straight to two-week home quarantine. On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu chided Israelis who heeded calls to stay away from work but nonetheless took to beaches and parks. So far, there are no coronavirus deaths in the country, although Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov warned that the Jewish state could expect them in the coming days, with “many thousands” perishing if guidelines are not adhered to. Authorities also took the unusual step of demanding that Palestinian laborers entering from the West Bank prove they have a place to stay in Israel for at least a month, thus cutting down on movement at crossing points. The laborers are usually required to return home at night.