Ministers urged to freeze train service, theaters over covid-19 surge
The coronavirus ministerial cabinet was urged on Monday to slow the slackening of coronavirus restrictions after at least 800 people tested positive for coronavirus in the past week, a daily average of more than a hundred. This was the highest increase since the last peak in mid-April. In particular, they were asked to hold off on reopening the train service after four delays, despite the extreme hardship for non-car owners who need to get to work outside their towns, and on public events including theater shows. In the past ten days, another 24 schools and kindergartens were closed rising to a total of 130, and 17,605 pupils and teaching staff were in quarantine, up by 1,282 in 24 hours. Another 22 tested positive – altogether 352.
At the same time, the new health minister Yuli Edelstein was in favor of further relaxations, in contrast to his predecessor, while strengthening police enforcement of the health guidelines in public places. In particular, he said, the trains must start running again to relieve the overcrowding on buses.