TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th December, 2020) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not exclude reintroducing coronavirus restrictions in order to decrease COVID-19 infection rates in the country.
Speaking after a Sunday coronavirus cabinet meeting, which ended without any decision on the potential closure of shops and other COVID-19-related moves, Netanyahu said that until vaccines are widely available, infection rates must be brought down.
"We lowered the incidence of disease and mortality to a level that is almost the lowest among European countries," Netanyahu said, as quoted by the Haaretz newspaper on Sunday. "We did it because we did not hesitate to make the correct decisions in time. Now, too, I won't hesitate to resume some of the restrictions, and the earlier we resume them, the period of the restrictions will be shorter."
Netanyahu told the Sunday cabinet meeting that a third wave of COVID-19 was starting in Israel and that urgent measures were needed, apart from efforts to start vaccination as soon as possible.
According to Israeli media reports, mass vaccination against the coronavirus could start in Israel later this month.
Israel has more than 343,600 confirmed coronavirus cases, with the country's COVID-19 death toll standing at over 2,900.
In November, Israel gradually reopened its schools and people were allowed to go to the beach and visit parks. Some stores and malls reopened, as well as haircut and beauty salons.
Protests calling on Netanyahu to step down continue to be held in Israel on weekends, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Demonstrators accuse Netanyahu of mishandling the coronavirus situation in Israel, which has led to an economic crisis in the country. This Saturday, Jerusalem saw its largest protest in weeks with some 30 arrests made during the demonstration.
