Israel Prepares for Three-week Lockdown over Holidays

The Israeli government on Sunday moved to reinstate a nationwide lockdown in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The closure will begin on Friday, the start of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and continue for at least three weeks until the end of the holiday period The lockdown will affect most places of business and the entire school system, except for special education. Citizens will not be allowed to stray more than 500 meters from home except to shop for groceries or seek medical attention or medications. Israel will become the first country in the world to lock itself down for a second time after what is being called a poorly-thought-out May reopening that ultimately propelled it, on a per capita basis, to first-place globally in new daily infections. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a news conference on Sunday night in which he attempted to portray the current crisis as no more than a minor hiccup.