Nationalizing El Al ‘not on agenda,’ says official,

According to Police, some 381 tickets and fines were administered over the last day – four times the number handed out on an average day last week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the National Security Council to help cops and inspectors step up enforcement of Health Ministry regulations, such as wearing masks and maintaining two meters distances, in order to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus and to keep the economy open.

Some 175 Israelis were diagnosed with coronavirus in the last day, bringing the total number of active cases to 2,869, among them 31 in serious condition, including 22 on ventilators. So far, 299 people have died.

But senior health experts explain that it is not just the numbers that are worrisome, but rather how widespread the infection is across the country. According to the Health Ministry,

there are sick people in more than 100 cities and towns.

On the other hand, the spike still does seem to have started as a result of opening up schools and preschools in full last month. As such, the average age of people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 is lower than it was during the first peak.

In the last 10 days, 11.2% of infections were children nine and younger, 23% children between the ages of 10 and 19, and 57% adults under 59 – perhaps parents or teachers. In contrast, only 14.4% of people infected are over the age of 60 (7.3% between 60 and 80).

During the first peak, 18% of infections were in people over 60. Older people and people with chronic illness are at greater risk of experiencing serious symptoms or dying from the disease.

Israeli school children have had a challenging year, first moving to online learning as the schools shut down to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Then, learning in capsules.

Now, thousands of children are in isolation after classmates or teachers became infected with COVID-19. The Education Ministry reported on Wednesday night that there are 433 sick students and teachers, and 23,969 in isolation. Some 144 schools are closed.

As such, student in grades 11

and 12 are unsure if they will succeed at their matriculation exams.

Israel’s National Student and