Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared the city of Elad and five neighborhoods in northern Tiveria, in Kiryat Sanz, as “restricted zones” on Tuesday evening.

The restrictions went into effect on Wednesday at 8 a.m. and will be valid for seven days.

Entry and exit into the restricted zones are forbidden except for work purposes, high school students taking their matriculation exams or other essential purposes such as medical care. Gatherings of over 50 people within the restricted zones are forbidden.

However, schools will continue to operate and children who attend special-education schools outside the city will be permitted to continue being transported to their schools. Stores will remain open and inter-city public transportation will continue to operate. Seven police checkpoints have been established in and around the restricted areas.

“As opposed to the lockdown imposed during the ‘first wave,’ this time there are only restrictions of movement, with educational institutions continuing to operate, leaving for work purposes permitted and stores remaining open,” the Health Ministry stated on Wednesday morning. “The municipalities are working with much dedication and their considerable efforts are apparent.”

Some city council members and residents of Tiveria expressed harsh criticism of the government’s decision to impose a lockdown on neighborhoods in the city, saying it will seriously harm the economy and growth of Tiveria when most of the city’s residents are still on unpaid leave.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)