Israelis Await Government Decision as Virus Spreads

After more than eight hours of deliberations on Tuesday, Israel’s so-called coronavirus cabinet dispersed without reaching a decision on further restrictions. The government is expected to announce a tightening of the lockdown, begun last week, sometime before this coming Sunday evening, the onset of Yom Kippur, when Jews normally congregate in massive turnouts for long hours of prayer. In what has become a near-daily ritual, Israel once again broke its own record for fresh infections on Tuesday, reaching an unheard of 7,000 new cases during a single 24-hour period. The previous high stood at around 5,500. The percentage of positive tests on Tuesday was also unprecedented, at close to 12%. As of Wednesday noon, 1,316 people had died from the virus or its complications, with more than 20 listed in the latest 24 hour-period.