Malls, markets, gyms set to reopen today
Three Lag Ba’omer fires on Mount Meron approved • Opening of daycare and preschool clouded
Malls, markets and workout centers across the country will open their doors Thursday for the first time since they were forced to shutter nearly two months ago due to the coronavirus crisis.
Patrons will be required to wear masks, have their temperature taken upon entry and stay two meters away from each other.
On Wednesday, shop and gym owners worked furiously to prepare their facilities for guests. Pictures were shared on TV and social networks of staff hanging signs, wiping down equipment and counters with disinfectant and sticking taping to the floors to mark where people can stand at checkout.
The move comes as the number of active cases of the virus continues to decline. The Health Ministry reported that there were only 5,434 people infected with corona – 142 less than the day before. Some 239 people have died and 69 are intubated. So far, 10,637 people have recovered – almost twice as many as those who are currently infected.
May 7 marks the second phase of the country’s exit strategy. The third phase is expected to roll out on Sunday with the opening of daycare centers, preschools and kindergartens. However, tens of thousands of parents across Israel remain unsure if their toddlers will have a classroom to go to on Sunday, despite the Health Ministry approving the government’s plan to reopen state-supervised daycare centers next week as planned.
The understandings between operators of the daycare centers and the finance and welfare ministries will enable the “operation of centers in accordance with health guidelines,” the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
“Opening the daycare centers is an important and necessary step in returning the economy and market to normal,” Labor and Social Welfare Minister Ofir Akunis said. “Opening the centers will enable about one million parents to return to work, and that is after ensuring the health of the children and staff.”
Approximately one-fifth of Israeli preschoolers attend state-supervised daycare centers. The others go to private centers, with which no agreement has yet been reached ahead of their planned reopening.
Dr. Shulamit Bismanovsky, head of the Organization for Private Preschools, said no government official had met with the umbrella group so far.
set to meet again at the Knesset overnight during the marathon voting session to decide what portfolios Blue and White would give Likud in return for the Health Ministry. But the opposition withdrawing its amendments late Wednesday complicated those plans.
Likud demanded the Communications and Culture and Sports portfolios, but Blue and White refused. Blue and White preferred to give up smaller portfolios, such as Diaspora Affairs, Social Equality or Strategic Affairs.
One possibility discussed was for Blue and White to give up three small portfolios so two could go to Likud and one that would be a third portfolio for Yamina, in order to enable Naftali Bennett’s party to join the coalition. Yamina did not participate in Wednesday night’s votes on the government formation bills, because its fate on the coalition is unknown.
Bennett has demanded the Health portfolio for himself, but sources in Likud said Netanyahu and Gantz had made an agreement that if Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman would give it up, Blue and White would get the first shot at it. Likud sources said that if no deal is made with Blue and White, Likud would keep the Health portfolio.
Blue and White officials said Bennett and Likud were coordinated on the issue and that Bennett had only demanded the Health portfolio in order to pressure Blue and White to give up more for the ministry in talks with Likud.
Before Blue and White MKs sign for Netanyahu to form the government, they are demanding that Shas and United Torah Judaism document their promise that if Netanyahu breaks his deal with Gantz and seeks an early election they would remain in a government led by Gantz instead of enabling the election to be advanced.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.
in 2012 in which he praised the Supreme Court and vowed to prevent it from being harmed. He asked which Netanyahu should be believed.
Meretz chairman Nitzan Horowitz said: “Israel will end the coronavirus crisis and then have to deal with a worse plague: annexation, which will bring bloodshed.”
Joint List head Ayman Odeh said hundreds of thousands of Jews and Arabs should take to the streets together to protest against the government.