Top Israeli Health Official Says Coronavirus Restrictions Could Soon Be Eased

The director-general of Israel’s Health Ministry on Friday evening revealed that the rate of coronavirus infections in the country appeared to be stabilizing and, as such, if citizens continued to abide by strict government guidelines requiring them to self-isolate then certain restrictions on movement could be lifted after next week’s Passover holiday. The prediction is being considered a best-case scenario, as on Saturday morning the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Israel approached 7,500. Forty people have died. The comments by Moshe Bar Siman-Tov came just days after he warned that thousands of Israelis could succumb to the disease. According to local media, Health Ministry models showed that Israeli authorities were on the verge of containing the spread of the virus prior to last month’s Purim holiday, when people generally congregate on the streets and frequent restaurants and bars. The government has instructed police to ensure that people celebrate Passover only with nuclear family members living in the same abode. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and numerous top officials – including Bar Siman-Tov – are currently in quarantine after Israel’s health minister contracted COVID-19.