CORONAVIRUS: ISRAEL SET TO IMPOSE THREE WEEKS NATIONAL LOCKDOWN-

No more than 10 people can meet indoors while groups of 20 are allowed outdoorsSchools and shopping centres will close, and Israelis must stay within 500 metres of their homes with the exception of travelling to workplacesNon-governmental offices and businesses can stay open but must not accept customersHowever, supermarkets and pharmacies can remain open to the public.Mr Netanyahu acknowledged the disruption the lockdown would cause to Jewish communities celebrating religious holidays that normally see families come together. This is not the kind of holiday we are used to. And we certainly won’t be able to celebrate with our extended families,” he said.The restrictions on indoor gatherings will severely impact prayers in synagogues.The second lockdown will cost the economy, which is in recession due to the pandemic, an estimated 6.5bn shekels ($1.88bn), the finance ministry says.Interior  Minister Aryeh Deri – who leads another ultra-Orthodox party – said in a video posted on Twitter that he supported the planned restrictions and that not abiding by them would be tantamount to murder.
Addressing the cabinet as it convened to vote on the lockdown on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said he regretted Mr Litzman’s resignation.
He added: “We have to move on, to make the decisions necessary for Israel in the coronavirus era, and that is what we will do in this session.” Mr Netanyahu has faced criticism for his handling of the outbreak. Critics say his failure to tackle the virus effectively has led to another national lockdown.
Many nations are experiencing second surges of the virus. However, most governments are now imposing smaller local lockdowns in affected areas, rather than blanket national ones.