As part of the fight against the spread of the corona virus and in light of the focused efforts to deal with the growing level of morbidity in Israel, the government has approved new restrictions designed to stop the spread of the corona virus. The new restrictions apply from 25.9.2020 at 2pm until 9.10.2020 with the possibility of extension, subject to assessment.
What do the restrictions in movement mean?
The basic restriction is on leaving the house up to a distance of 1,000 meters (1 kilometer). A person is prohibited from staying in a place other than his place of residence, except for the following (departures do not involve presenting permits) -
Buying essential products and food (including for animals), medicines, hygiene products, optics, home maintenance products, communications and medical products, and receiving essential services.
Assistance to a person who has difficulty or distress that requires assistance.
Transfer of a minor between his or her parents living separately or the transfer of a minor whose parent is required to leave for essential work.
The arrival of an employee at a workplace that is defined as essential and the departure of a soldier to perform his job.
Prayer services - Prayers can only be held in an open area at a distance of up to 1,000 meters from one’s house, subject to the crowd limit of up to 20 people and maintaining a distance of 2 meters between each congregant. This is with the exception of the Yom Kippur prayers, for which a separate set of restrictions has been set.
Leaving the place of residence for sports activities by an individual or with people living in the same place, not by motorized vehicles.
Exit up to a distance of up to 1 km from the place of residence. You may visit parks and playgrounds that are within a range of 1km from the house.
The exit of a person with a disability who, due to his disability, is required to leave home for a distance of more than 1km from his place of residence, together with one escort , not by means of a motorized vehicle.
Exit for the purpose of an educational activity whose activities are permitted as detailed below (such as special education, youth at risk, childcare and essential workers).
Departure from one permanent place of residence to another - from an educational or care institution to the place of residence; and for the purpose of moving home.
Departure of residents from welfare and disability frameworks, to visit first-degree relatives, and visits by family members to above frameworks.
Immersion of a woman in a mikveh.
Blood donation.
Attendance at a circumcision or funeral.
Essential animal care.
Exit for legal proceedings.
Departure in favor of a flight abroad up to 8 hours from the date of the flight.
What is open, what is closed? Services that continue to be open:
In accordance with the regulations, all businesses that receive the public - trade, culture, recreation, leisure, domestic tourism - will be closed to the public, except for the following essential services:Pharmacies
Places that sell food (including pet food)
Optics stores
A store whose main business is the sale of hygiene products.
A store whose main business is selling essential products for home maintenance and laundry.
A store whose products are communication or computer services, laboratory for repairing communication products and computers.
Treatment by complementary medicine, by providing care to a single patient or to people living in the same place.
Provision of essential services in cases where it is not possible to provide this service online or by telephone.
Welfare frameworks for the purpose of providing an essential social service.
There is no restriction on an employee entering the workplace, as long as it is not open to the public.
How will the education system run?
The entire education system will be closed throughout the closure period. Learning will be done by distance learning.
Along with these restrictions, educational activities are allowed as follows:Special education frameworks
Boarding schools
Informal education frameworks for children of essential workers up to the age of 12, and places that serve as a daily residence for the education and care of toddlers who are children of essential workers.
Emergency centers for children and youth at risk.
Local youth centers for at-risk youth.
Activities of schools of secondary education for dropout and at-risk youth.
Boarding schools for students without families, including students referred by the social services departments of the local authorities or by court orders.
Activities for students with special needs, as defined in the Special Education Law, including transportation.
Educational frameworks in hospitals according to the Free Education Law for Sick Children.
Volunteer activity to provide educational or welfare response to students.
Educational psychological services.
Activities evidencing eligibility under the Special Education Law.
Services of the regional authorities as defined in the Special Education Law.
Activities of a regular inspection officer and actions of youth units in local authorities under the Local Authorities Act, including volunteers.
Activities of a promotion unit in the Department of Education as defined in the Local Authorities Law, including activities in the Education Center for Dropout and At-Risk Youth.
Activities for the purpose of facilitating distance learning from home, including through local authority facilities and institutions.
What are the limitations of the gatherings that apply throughout the period?
The restrictions stipulate that in any event no more than 10 people can gather inside a building and no more than 20 people in an open area.
The restrictions on gathering will apply wherever it is permitted to stay within the 1 kilometer limit of the home, as well as within the framework of workplaces.
As a general rule, gatherings should be avoided as much as possible. In any gathering that takes place, keep a distance of 2 meters from other people, put on a mask and wash your hands with soap and water.
What are the guidelines for prayer services for Shabbat and Yom Kippur?
What are the guidelines for prayer services for Shabbat and Yom Kippur?
Prayer Services
Prayer services may be held in an open area only at a distance of up to 1,000 meters from one's home, subject to the crowd limit of up to 20 people and maintaining a distance of 2 meters between each person. This is with the exception of the Yom Kippur prayer services for which a special outline has been set.
On the eve of Yom Kippur and on the day of Yom Kippur, from Sunday 27.9 at 5pm until Monday 28.9 at 8pm, an outline has been approved that allows prayers to be held in public beyond the usual permitted gathering, within 1,000 meters of the house.
It will be possible to hold prayers both in open spaces and within a limit of 1,000 meters from the house, and also to hold prayers in closed buildings.
Prayer services in open spaces:
Prayers may be held in groups of up to 20 people. People who do not live together must maintain a distance of at least 2 meters. A distance of 2 meters will be maintained between each compound and each compound will be marked with a physical marking. In each quorum of worshipers a corona warden will be in charge who will take care of seating arrangements that comply with the guidelines and make sure that there is no movement of worshipers between the compounds.
To allow as many residents to pray in open spaces the municipality has provided places for synagogue quorums (minyans) to hold prayers in shaded parks, shaded sports fields and other sites.
Locations of the shaded parks:Ephraim Street 10
HaLuach Ha’Ivri 40
Mivtsa Nachshon in front of House No.31
Inbalim School
Sportek Field
Migdal HaLebanon
Nahal Paran
Nahal Tzin 31
Nahal HaYarkon in front of house no. 18
Emek Zevulun
Efroni 18
Prayer services in a closed building:
Prayer will be allowed in groups of 25 according to the number of entrances to the building and provided that a ratio of one person per 4 square meters of the area is maintained. All congregants must adhere to the guidelines. According to the outline, each class will allow prayer for up to ten congregants in each classroom.
As part of the preparations for Yom Kippur, the municipality has allocated classrooms in the city's schools for prayer services. Each congregation will appoint a corona warden who is responsible for ensuring that the worshipers meet the guidelines. According to the outline in each class, prayer will be allowed for up to ten worshipers in each classroom.
Guidelines for holding prayer services in a building:
Seating will be in complexes and in fixed groups in each complex.
Each group will be assigned a defined entrance, with a distance of at least 2 chairs between people who do not live together.
Each compound will be marked by partitions. A distance of at least 2 meters will be maintained between the complexes.
A corona warden and ushers will be appointed to maintain the arrangements.
Do not transfer the mouthpiece of any shofar from person to person.
The municipality emphasizes that the police and municipal inspectors will carry out patrols and inspections, and will close sites that do not comply with the guidelines - wearing a mask, keeping distance and maintaining the number of participants permitted by the guidelines.
The municipality urges residents to opt to hold prayers in open spaces and reduce the risk of infection.
How will public transportation
operate during this period?
According to the decision of the Ministry of Transportation, changes will apply to public transportation services as follows:
On weekends, on the eve of the holiday and the hours after the holiday has ended, (Erev Chag and Motsai Chag) , only internal city transportation will be operational.
The rest of the week there will be about 25 percent of the regular travel routes.
Public transportation services will end at 8 p.m.
