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October 4th, 2020 
Awake Goy Another 49 COVID-19 deaths were added to Israel’s count over the weekend, the Health Ministry reported Saturday evening, bringing the national toll to 1,682, with 7,024 new coronavirus cases diagnosed Friday and another 2,232 on Saturday by the evening.
It was not clear whether all 49 deaths occurred at the weekend or if some had been retroactively added to the count.
The total number of coronavirus infections since the pandemic began stood at 264,443, of which 71,509 were active cases.
Of those, there were 840 people in serious condition, with 224 on ventilators. Another 320 were in moderate condition and the rest had mild or no symptoms.
The Health Ministry said 62,062 tests were performed yesterday, 11.8 percent of which came back positive.
Israel currently has the world’s worst daily coronavirus infection rate per capita, according to multiple organizations tracking the virus, including John Hopkins University.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Thursday that if the national lockdown to curb the ongoing coronavirus outbreak does not reduce infection rates, restrictions will be further tightened.
Screen capture from a video of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a live Facebook broadcast about the coronavirus outbreak and the national lockdown, October 1, 2020. (Facebook)
“On Monday we’ll make a decision on the continuation of the lockdown — tightening or release,” Netanyahu said in a Facebook Live video post during which he answered questions from the public.
During the broadcast, Netanyahu also said he expects the government will again offer cash handouts to the public, as it did earlier in the year, ostensibly to help citizens weather the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
After a massive spike in coronavirus cases, Israel on September 18 entered its second national lockdown, which has seen most shops and businesses shuttered along with the education system and most Israelis confined within a one-kilometer (0.6-mile) radius of their homes except for essentials like food and medicines. It began as a three-week closure and was significantly tightened last Friday. On Wednesday, ministers voted to extend the lockdown to October 14.
However, there is reportedly concern among some in the government that the lockdown is proving ineffective as much of the public is loath to adhere to the restrictions.
“The lockdown doesn’t really exist,” one unnamed minister told Channel 12. “People are leaving their homes, inventing excuses, and aren’t particularly worried that they’ll be caught. It’s become a joke. It can’t go on like this. It’s terrible. During the first lockdown, people were hysterical — terrified of the coronavirus. Now it doesn’t work. It’s ineffective.”
One indicator of the apparent change in attitude can be seen in the volume of traffic on the roads. Citing data generated by Apple, which tracked iPhone movements in the country, Channel 12 reported that there has been a 40 percent drop in traffic compared to an 80% fall during the first lockdown. In the central Dan area, since the current closure started there has been just a 10% decrease in traffic compared to 70% in the previous lockdown.
Police set up a roadblock outside Hadera on September 29, 2020, to enforce a nationwide lockdown. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
Wednesday saw the highest number of confirmed cases in a single day so far, with 9,013 people diagnosed as infected with the virus.
The lockdown policy has led to sharp divisions within the unity government.
Netanyahu reportedly clashed with Defense Minister Benny Gantz during a Wednesday meeting of the coronavirus cabinet, a forum of ministers tasked with forming policy to counter the virus outbreak.
According to the reports, Netanyahu raised the possibility of further tightening the current lockdown, including shrinking the one-kilometer radius that people are currently allowed to travel from their homes to as little as 200 meters.
Gantz reportedly replied, “We’re driving the public crazy” with the constantly changing restrictions.
That complaint led to what reports said was shouting from Netanyahu, who was quoted as telling Gantz, “You don’t tell me what we do or don’t do — this is a meeting and I want this discussion. In March-April we updated the plans all the time.”
Finance Minister Israel Katz is also reportedly against any further clampdowns, pushing instead for the lockdown to be eased as soon as possible.
At the meeting, Netanyahu reportedly told ministers it could be a year before the lockdown is fully lifted.
The government has been criticized for a too-quick lifting of restrictions after the last lockdown in the spring, and for failing to reimpose restrictions when infection rates started to rise in July.
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