Aryeh Ibn, an 88-year-old Jerusalemite who is also a Holocaust survivor passed away on Shabbos in Shaare Zedek Hospital after he fell ill from Covvid-19 Coronavirus. Ibn also suffered from numerous other serious illnesses prior to his contracting coronavirus. He is the first person in Israel to die as a result of contracting the disease. Ibn had lived in an assisted living residence where the virus spread quickly among the residents.

According to Israel’s Health Ministry, some 883 Israelis have now tested positive for carrying the virus. Many of these people are asymptomatic and are in quarantine at home. Thus far, one person has died from the virus and 15 others are in serious condition. 19 people are in moderate condition and 36 have made a full recovery. The Ministry reminded Israelis that it is prohibited to leave one’s home for unnecessary reasons.

Many Israelis ignored the instructions of the Health Ministry and the enforced ban on leaving one’s house over the course of Shabbos. Many Israelis went hiking or strolled down the street. In Tel Aviv, the beaches saw many people taking advantage of the warmer weather and lack of rain over the course of the day. The Health Ministry and Prime Minister warned that they are discussing implementing more drastic measures in order to curb the “hazardous” behavior.

Chinese officials have announced that Shabbos was the third day in a row without any new cases of the virus being reported in the country. Both Jordan and Syria implemented lockdowns on their populaces.

9 medical personnel from Rambam Hospital in Haifa and another 5 medical staff from Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera entered into quarantine over Shabbos after being exposed to the virus.

Magen David Adom set up three new “drive-thru” testing stations for Corona testing in Israel. The stations are in Yerushalayim at Teddy Stadium, in Haifa and Be’er Sheva.

The Health Ministry has given permission for an Israeli company to produce swabs that will be used for testing prospective patients for the Coronavirus. The production company, Nova Med, resides in Yerushalayim and the current permit will allow them to produce 5,000 swabs beginning on Sunday.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu clarified that supermarkets and permitted stores will remain open for the time being. He also added that the issue will be revisited on Tuesday.

Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotritch has gone into home quarantine as of Shabbos after it became known that he met with a woman who was a confirmed Covid-19 carrier. The woman received notice on Motzei Shabbos that she is a confirmed carrier and had met with the Minister last week. Smotritch said that he will continue working from home and aiding the government to combat the disease.

A 30-year-old man was seriously injured in an apartment fire in his house on Shamgar Ben Anat Street in Kiryat Gat. United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Yankee Weinberg who was one of the first responders at the scene said: “The young man was rescued from the apartment by firefighters. He was in serious condition and was unconscious. I, together with other EMS personnel, treated him at the scene before he was transported to the hospital. He was suffering from respiratory distress resulting from severe smoke inhalation.”

Netanyahu made another offer to Benny Gantz in an attempt to form a unity government. According to sources in the Israeli media the offer reportedly included a rotation of the Prime Minister position after 18 months and splitting various Ministries between the two parties. Gantz has neither declined nor accepted the offer.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)