The third coronavirus lockout is now official, despite its earlier hours of action, after the Knesset Foundation, Justice and Justice Committee on Monday approved the measures in a tight voting session.
Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee
(Photo: Knesset Channel )
At the lockout the public will be restricted from traveling more than a kilometer from their homes and barred from entering other people’s residences. Trade and entertainment businesses will be relatively closed, non-public businesses will be able to operate at 50% capacity, public transport will operate at 50% capacity and social gatherings will be limited to 20 people in open areas and 10 people -in.
Committee members who are part of the governing coalition were unable to vote before 8-7, after many panel members opposed some of the measures. The biggest point of disagreement was the closure of restaurants but for delivery.
Carmel Market in Tel Aviv during the third lockout
(Photo: Motti Kimchi)
Under the latest restrictions, restaurants will only be able to provide food through delivery, with takeaway services temporarily banned.
As a compromise the government has agreed that restaurants will be restricted for the first week of locking, as planned, but the opportunity for takeaway food will be revisited next week.
Likud MK Osnat signal
(Photo: Knesset Channel )
Opposition members were vocal in criticizing the lockout, leading to shouting matches with other members of the committee. Yamina’s MK Matan Kahana described the lockdown as a “terrible failure”, while MK Ofer Cassif’s Joint List said the closure was “harmful” to public health.
This prompted Likud MK Osnat Mark to name lawyers against “populists”, and Coalition Chairman Likud MK Miki Zohar accused them of wanting the pathogen to spread.