Israel tightens 2nd lockdown as coronavirus cases escalate
JERUSALEM — Israel on Thursday moved to further tighten its second countrywide lockdown as coronavirus cases continued to soar, ordering all nonessential businesses to close and requiring people to stay within 1,100 yards of their homes.
Prayers during the ongoing High Holidays, as well as political demonstrations, would be limited to open spaces and no more than 20 people, and participants would have to remain within the restricted distance from home.
The measures are set to go into force Friday afternoon, as the country shuts down for the weekly Sabbath ahead of the solemn holy day of Yom Kippur on Sunday and Monday. Even during normal times, Israel completely shuts down for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, with businesses and airports closed, roads empty, and even radio and television stations going silent.
In a televised address Thursday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the pain caused by the closings, but said the holiday season, when many businesses slow down in any case, was the best time to take action.
Comparing the situation to a war, he said the measures would save lives. “Wake up. Enough is enough. We are in a new reality,” he said.
The limits on both prayers and protests could spark a backlash.
Israel’s politically influential ultra-Orthodox community has objected to limits on public prayer during the High Holidays, and Netanyahu opponents have accused him of using the lockdown as a cover to end weekly demonstrations against his handling of the
LOS ANGELES — The longer the COVID-19 pandemic goes on, the younger its victims get.
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the median age of people with COVID-19 in the U.S. has declined over the spring and summer, with Americans in their 20s now accounting for more cases than people in any other age group.
The findings suggest that if the U.S. wants to get its coronavirus outbreak under control, it will need more cooperation from young adults. In May, the median age of U.S. residents with COVID-19 was 46. By July, it had dropped to 37, then rose slightly to 38 in August.
Likewise, in May, people in their 20s made up 15.5% of confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide. At the time, they trailed people in their 30s (who accounted for 16.9% of total cases) as well as people in their 40s and 50s (both of those age crisis. limitations for prayers on Yom groups accounted for another
Netanyahu dismissed such Kippur, the holiest day in the 16.4% of cases). allegations as “absurd,“saying Jewish calendar. But by June, 20-somethings all of the restrictions were for Hagai Levine, a professor of had taken over the top spot, public safety. epidemiology and a member of making up 20.2% of all cases.
In a separate address, Netanan expert panel advising the That figure rose to 23.2% in July, yahu’s former rival and now government, warned that althen dropped back to 21% in governing partner, Benny lowing Yom Kippur prayers in August.
Gantz, called for national unity. synagogues could lead to mass The proportion of cases
“We cannot allow anyone to transmission. among Americans in their 30s exploit and deepen polarizaHe went so far as to compare also increased in June and July. tion and make us lose this it to the 1973 war, when Egypt But by August, it had fallen battle,” he said, vowing that and Syria launched a surprise slightly below the level seen in protestersMay.couldtaketotheattackonIsraelduringYom streets and worshippers could Kippur. Meanwhile, the share of cases fill synagogues once the situa“Now, it’s no surprise. We among adults 40 and older tion is brought under control. are going to have a massive decreased steadily through the
“Saving lives comes before problem and massive transmisend of July, according to the anything else. Anything at all,” sion on Yom Kippur in a few study.
Gantz said in a speech outside days,” he said. The trend toward younger his home. Israel is reporting nearly COVID-19 patients came as the
The government ordered 7,000 new daily cases ecently, total number of new cases insynagogues to close for the making the outbreak in the creased. In May, 604,570 Amerilockdown, which is expected to country of 9 million people cans of all ages were diagnosed last for at least two weeks, but among the worst in the world with COVID-19. By July, that said they could open with on a per capita basis. figure exceeded 1 million — a