Israel's trains, brought to a halt three months ago over coronavirus fears, will officially resume operations on June 22, the coronavirus cabinet confirmed Wednesday.
Among some of the fresh restrictions on railway traffic, passengers will be required to purchase tickets in advance and passenger capacity on railcars will be limited to 75%. Each train ride will have only about 500 tickets, which can be booked up to 48 hours in advance.
Passengers will not be allowed to eat or drink on the train and will be obliged to wear a mask during the entire ride, even when speaking on the phone.
Meanwhile, cultural events are expected to resume from Saturday evening, limited to 250 participants.
The decision was made after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz met earlier Wednesday, together with relevant ministers, representatives of the entertainment industry. At the end of the meeting, the government promised it would act to reopen the industry.
The Health Ministry earlier Wednesday evening reported 288 new virus cases in the past 24 hours.
There are currently 3,993 active cases. Out of those, 36 are in serious condition, with 29 requiring respiratory assistance; 45 are in mild condition and the rest only show light symptoms.
The ministry said 15,970 tests were conducted yesterday for the virus.
No additional fatalities are reported, keeping the death toll at 303.
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A police checkpoint during the coronavirus lockdown in Jerusalem
(Photo: Eli Mandelbaum)
Also during the meeting, the government decided to designate three Arab communities as "restricted coronavirus areas."
The southern Bedouin townships of Ar'ara BeNegev and Rahat and the Ajami neighborhood in Tel Aviv-Jaffa will be subject to several restrictions regarding travel and gathering.
In these communities, gatherings of over 10 people will be prohibited and all schools will be shuttered until further notice.
Reports said that health officials are also mulling a partial lockdown of the Jaffa quarter of Tzahalon.