Israeli medical workers wearing protective gear work in the coronavirus ward of Ziv medical center in Safed, northern Israel, on Sept. 23, 2020. The number of coronavirus cases in Israel reached 200,041 on Wednesday, with 6,667 new cases. (Ayal Margolin/JINI via Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel's coronavirus cabinet decided on Wednesday to impose a full nationwide closure as the country's soaring daily new cases showed no signs of decelerating.
The new restrictions are scheduled to begin on Friday and will last at least until the evening of Simhat Torah, a major Jewish holiday, on Oct. 10.
The government is expected to convene later on Wednesday to approve the cabinet's decision.
Under the new closure, all businesses will be shut down except for factories and services that will be defined as "essentials."
Rallies and prayers will be permitted only in capsules, or small groups, of up to 20 people in the vicinity of the residents' homes.
Israel's international Ben Gurion Airport will be closed for departures.
Last Friday, the government imposed a three-week nationwide lockdown that allowed people to go out for sports activities, political rallies, and prayers and left several businesses partially opened.
But as the infection rates have shown no signs of slowing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country "is in an emergency" and called on for more restrictions.
According to figures released by the health ministry on Wednesday, 6,667 new cases were reported over the past day, the highest daily rise since the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel in February.
Israel, with a population of about 9 million, saw a total number of 200,041 infections with 1,316 fatalities. Enditem
