The Center for Information on the Coronavirus issued a report Tuesday in which Jerusalem, a city with 920,000 residents, has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Israel
Still, no specific restrictions have been imposed on Jerusalem except those imposed on the rest of the country, but the new report indicates the capital has a similar outbreak of coronavirus found in Bnei Brak which did have more restrictions imposed on it.
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Police enforce coronavirus restrictions on ultra-Orthodox in Jerusalem
(Photo: Shalev Shalom)
The report notes, however, that the vast majority of cases are concentrated in the crowded ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods where 230,000 people live.
According to health ministry estimations, 1,100 of the 1,464 reported cases in Jerusalem are in those neighborhoods and represent a ratio of 47 confirmed cases for every 10,000 people while in the rest of the city the ratio is 5 patients for every 10,000.
Health officials have recommended increased restrictions and enforcement in those areas so that the virus does not spread out into other parts of the city, while residents confirmed to have contracted the virus should according to those officials, be moved out to dedicated hotels in order to prevent their neighbors and family members from contracting COVID-19.
However, the government has yet to decide on the path forward while a lock-down on the country at large had been imposed as of Tuesday.
The government did decide on some restrictions the movement in the affected areas requiring residents to stay inside their neighborhoods and not venture out to the rest of the city until Thursday.