There are 19,894 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Israel as of Thursday morning, an increase of 257 new cases since Wednesday.

The number of active cases has risen to 4,092, with 39 patients in serious condition, of whom 32 are ventilated. The death toll remains at 303.

Finance Minister Yisrael Katz said on Wednesday evening that there will be no turning back now that the economy has reopened, even if the coronavirus continues.

“We won’t close anything across the board. We can deal with it in a pinpoint manner with enforcement and quarantine. We won’t close any industry across the board,” Katz told Channel 13 News, adding that the Israeli economy is in a dire situation, maybe even the worst in history.

The Knesset Coronavirus Committee approved resuming train service on Wednesday night with the strong encouragement of Katz over the opposition of Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.

The resumption of cultural events with up to 250 participants, or even 500 participants if approved by the director-general of the Culture and Sports Ministry, was also approved by the committee on Wednesday night.

A ceremony welcoming the new director-general of the health ministry, Prof. Chezy Levy, took place on Thursday, attended by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. During his remarks, Levy said a tefillah, saying: “I plead before Your throne that You assist me in my work and that I make the right and appropriate decisions.”

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein gave outgoing director-general Moshe Bar Siman Tov a gift of a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops, saying that since he’s between jobs and the prime minister said that flights may resume soon, they may come in handy.

להתראות ברסי, תודה על הכל! @moshebst pic.twitter.com/8nNVDbvlGf

— Yuli Edelstein 🇮🇱 יולי אדלשטיין (@YuliEdelstein) June 18, 2020

A third IDF major general and a fourth brigadier general entered quarantine on Thursday due to coming into contact last week with someone later diagnosed with the coronavirus, the IDF stated.

Two IDF major-generals already entered quarantine on Wednesday after contact with coronavirus carriers in two separate cases as well as three brigadier generals. Several Shin Bet members who were present at the same meeting as the brigadier generals also entered quarantine on Wednesday.

There has been a significant rise of coronavirus cases in the Palestinian Authority, health minister Mai Al-Kaila stated on Wednesday.

There were 45 new virus cases in the PA confirmed in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of cases to 745. The PA has recorded five fatalities.

PA authorities have recently lifted restrictions after a three-month lockdown, allowing hotels, restaurants, event halls, public parks, churches, and mosques to reopen.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)