No let-up in coronavirus hike ahead of stringent closures

Tuesday saw 8,164 new covid cases registered in Israel. The number of seriously ill climbed to 824 with 207 on ventilators. Out of 122,000 tests performed, 6.8pc returned positive. The number of deaths rose to 3,495.

In the last 10 days, another 56,000 workers, mainly in retail sales, joined the ranks of the jobless. Shortly before approving a more stringent lockdown for the next two weeks -starting at midnight Thursday – the government approved a new relief program of one-time grants for 400,000 self-employed. The new restrictions shutter all schools and non-essential places of employment as well as curbing movement outside the home.