The Health Ministry on Sunday presented guidelines for the gradual lifting of social distancing orders that were put in place to rein in the spread of coronavirus.
The Ministry recommends allowing citizens to visit first-degree family members effective immediately, including elders "with the necessary caution and under instructions that will be established soon."
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Families visit elderly relatives from a distance at Naot Yam nursing home in Kiryat Yam
(Photo: Courtesy)
The ministry also recommends resuming classes for grades 4 through 10 in groups of 15 students starting May 31.
Social gatherings will be allowed in groups of up to 10 participants starting May 10 while adhering to social distancing order, i.e wearing masks and keeping a 2-meter (3-feet) distance from each other at all times.
Shopping malls, markets, hotels, libraries, museums, zoos, fitness studios, and public swimming pools will all open on May 17, and weddings and funerals of up to 50 participants will also be allowed starting the same day.
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Families visit elderly relatives from a distance at Mishan nursing home in Beersheba
(Photo: Barel Efarim)
Restaurants will resume activity starting June 15, despite the Finance Ministry's suggestion to reopen eateries on May 31.
The application of the new leniencies will only take effect as long as the coronavirus contagion rate doesn't exceed Health Ministry predictions, as presented to National Security Council Director Meir Ben Shabbat by Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov:
Three hundred new infections a day - 100 community-acquired infections and 200 arriving from overseas, the number of confirmed cases doubles every 10 days and up to 300 patients in serious condition at once.
As of Sunday evening, the number of new coronavirus diagnoses was lower than 150 a day, the number of patients in serious condition stands at 103 and the number of new infections will double every 28 days at the current rate.
Bar Siman Tov noted that these parameters will serve authorities as warning signs that the pandemic may be hitting again at full force and additional signs that couldn't be predicted ahead may appear in the near future.