Israel’s Coronavirus Death Toll Exceeds 100, Including Former Chief Rabbi Bakshi-Doron
As the highly contagious coronavirus spreads around the world, Israel and the Palestinians struggle to contain a local outbreak that has virtually halted daily life and led to tens of thousands of people entering quarantine.
■ 11,235 Israelis have so far tested positive for the coronavirus; 110 people have died. In the West Bank, 255 cases have been diagnosed so far. Two have died. In Gaza, 13 cases have been diagnosed.
■ Laboratory material shortages are forcing Israel to reduce testing, but Israel says it's planning on producing materials locally. The government has called upon citizens to wear face masks in public to better protect themselves and others from the virus. Guidelines explained
■ The government has extended the lockdown on the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, a coronavirus hotspot, and extended curfew on Jerusalem neighborhoods with a high infection rate.
■ For the Health Ministry's official website on the corovavirus outbreak, click here.
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– Haredi leaders learn harsh corona lesson as Israel sends in the troops
Haredi leaders learn harsh corona lesson as Israel sends in the troopsHaaretz
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9:32 A.M. Death toll in Israel rises to 110
Israel's confirmed cases of coronavirus increased by 90, and seven people more have died, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 11,235 and the death toll to 110, according to the Health Ministry.
181 people are in serious condition, an eight percent increase in 24 hours. The total number of recovered cases stands at 1,689.
12:20 A.M. 'His memory will forever be in the heart of the Jewish people': Netanyahu eulogizes former Chief Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Israel’s former Chief Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron from the coronavirus.
“I’m profoundly hurting, as is all of Israel, the death of Chief Rabbi Eliahu Bakshi-Doron. I send my deepest condolences to his reputable family and many students,” Netanyahu said.
“Rabbi Bakshi-Doron was an important link in the chain of conveying the Torah of the Sephardi sages. His astonishing knowledge in the history of the Jewish people blended with his noble characteristics. He was gracious and treated everyone with respect,” Netanyahu added.
“Rabbi Bakshi-Doron served as a teacher to all Jewish communities, in Israel and all over the world. I’ve met him many times and was always impressed by his warm personality. For him, the Torah was a way of life. He always acted with wisdom, tolerance and demonstrated love for the country and its people.
“Unfortunately, Rabbi Bakshi-Doron caught the coronavirus and the doctors, despite all their efforts, couldn’t save him. His memory will forever be in the heart of the Jewish people,” Netanyahu concluded. (Noa Landau)