Festival grants for Israeli families with children and elderly

As Israel’s coronavirus tally passed 6,000 and its death toll reached 26, PM Binyamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday, April 1, NIS500 ($140) festival grants per child and every senior citizen. The allowances would be put to Knesset vote to enable them to be paid in directly to personal accounts while cutting out red tape.

Fully aware of the hardships suffered by the self-employed and businesses resulting from the restrictions imposed for curtailing the spread of the virus, the prime minister pledged to shortly release a rescue package of direct benefits.
Masks will now be compulsory for individuals outside their homes after the World Health Organization established that the covid-19 virus is transmitted by droplets from the mouth and nose.

All government departments have been instructed to give every possible assistance to the virus-struck town of Bnei Brak, which is in near lockdown due to the highest proportion of cases in the country. An order has also been handed down to place all Israelis returning home in quarantine in special hotels.

Netanyahu sent Passover greetings to the nation, reminding them to adhere to the directive to restrict the Seder to members of the family household who are already present: no invited guests or other relatives. We will celebrate Passover this year and mark the exodus of our forefathers from Egypt – at home.