Public transportation will be scaled back as part of the government's efforts to slow down the spread of coronavirus with suspension of buses and trains at night and over the weekend.
The Transportation Ministry announced it is suspending all public transport as of 10 PM On Tuesday and every evening thereafter, to be resumed in the early morning hours on weekdays.
Weekend transport will be halted from Thursday at eight PM and will resume early morning on Sunday.
The ministry is monitoring the needs of people to get to places of vital work, food shopping, and medical care but will halt lines to entertainment areas, universities and other non-essential destinations.
"We are motivated by the need to protect public health," said Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, "we are doing all we can to minimize disruption to the public and I am appealing to everyone to avoid boarding busses and trans and follow the Health Ministry guidelines."
There has already been a decline of up to 50% in the use of public transportation and officials believe more people will refrain from using the service.
Transportation companies and bus drivers were called to adhere to the guidelines, restrict the number of passengers, maintain a two-meter space between people and attempt to keep their close environment as sterile as possible.
First published: 17:15, 03.17.20