Health Official: Israel Headed Toward Full Lockdown for Passover

The deputy director-general of Israel’s Health Ministry on Monday revealed that the government was likely to impose a complete, nationwide lockdown during the Passover holiday, which runs from April 8 to 15. The comments dovetailed with those by Interior Minister Arye Deri, who over the weekend expressed concern that people were liable to congregate – in contravention of government guidelines – for the traditional Seder unless a total shutdown was implemented. The Health Ministry has raised the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel to more than 8,600. A total of 55 people have died, and some 140 are in critical condition, with at least 107 being sustained by ventilators. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry announced that 11 planes carrying medical equipment and supplies would be arriving from China in the coming days. The first shipment, with a reported 900,000 surgical masks and half a million protective suits, arrived Monday morning.