Israel Comes Up With New Plan On Punishing Violators Of COVID-19 Regulations - Government

TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th July, 2021) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is boosting the enforcement of coronavirus regulations against violators, the prime minister's office informs.

Bennet held a Corona Cabinet discussion on Sunday, during which the Public Security Ministry presented the prime minister with a plan for the national effort to enforce COVID-19 regulations.

"Our goal is to determine logical directives, alongside aggressive and efficient enforcement against violators. Whoever violates the directives is endangering his health and the other citizens of Israel. We will not allow this. The Delta mutation is leaping forward around the world. Implementing the directives on the ground is a critical component in managing the pandemic in order to beat the mutation," Bennett said as quoted in the Sunday government release.

The plan presented to the Israeli prime minister combines technological means and enforcement actions on the ground that will be carried out by police officers and municipal inspectors.

"Enforcement procedures will be streamlined, with emphasis on shortening the times between imposing fines on those who violate the directives and their actual implementation. The Public Security Ministry will carry out staff work on the issue," the prime minister's office said.

Enforcing coronavirus regulations envisages the filing of criminal indictments against verified coronavirus patients who knowingly violate quarantine. Special emphasis will be put on weddings and other celebratory events since they carry greater potential for infections, according to the Israeli government.

On Saturday, the Israeli Health Ministry announced that a record 1,000 new coronavirus cases had been recorded over a 24-hour-period, which is the highest number in nearly 4 months. There are currently over 6,500 active COVID-19 cases in Israel.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz told Channel 13 on Saturday that he believed the government measures taken against COVID-19 had been insufficient.