The cabinet approved via a telephone vote early Wednesday morning new, stricter limitations on public life in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, as Israel's death toll continued to rise.
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Under the new restrictions, which will come into effect on Wednesday night, people will only be allowed to leave their homes within 100 yards; all leisure activities and sporting events will be barred; public transportation by bus will be suspended and taxis would only be allowed to fare one passenger, and companies still operating would be required to check their employees' temperature before letting them enter the building.
Essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies, and access to medical care would not be limited, the Prime Minister's Office explained.
Restaurants will have to close their premises, but they will be allowed to make deliveries to customers who order food.
The number of Israeli coronavirus fatalities rose to five on Wednesday, the Health Ministry reported, saying that 2,170 Israelis have been diagnosed with the virus.
The latest two fatalities were announced on Wednesday morning. One of them was a 76-year-old man who had been suffering from various medical conditions prior to contacting the virus and his hospitalization on Monday.
The other was an 87-year-old man with a history of heart problems. He was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday night due to acute shortness of breath and was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia. Early on Wednesday morning, after he had already passed away at the hospital, tests showed that he was a carrier of the virus.
Malka Keva, 67, who was hospitalized in the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv succumbed to COVID-19 Tuesday afternoon. Another man, 87, died from the disease several hours later.
Both suffered from several serious pre-existing conditions, the Health Ministry said.
The virus claimed its first fatality, an 88-years-old resident of Jerusalem, over the weekend.
According to the ministry, 37 patients are in serious condition, 54 in moderate condition and the rest were experiencing only mild symptoms. Fifty-eight Israelis have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Over 65,000 Israelis are currently under home quarantine.
