Israel’s cabinet approved the new stricter lockdown in an early morning vote on Thursday. The tightened restrictions are set to begin on Friday at 2 p.m. and continue at least two weeks until after Simchas Torah on October 10.

Shuls will be closed with the exception of Yom Kippur, when shuls will allowed to open in a limited fashion. Otherwise, including this coming Shabbos and over Sukkos, tefillos are allowed only outside in groups of up to 20 people within one kilometer (0.6 miles) of their homes.

All marketplaces and almost all retail outlets will be closed with only the most essential stores and services permitted to remain open, including food outlets and pharmacies. Restaurants can open for delivery services only.

Nearly all businesses will be closed except those determined to be vital to the country by the Defense Ministry’s National Emergency Authority.

Israelis will be permitted to travel only up to one kilometer from their homes for approved reasons. Almost all public transportation will come to a halt and the educational system will remain closed except for special education and at-risk youth programs.

Although government ministers decided that protests will be allowed only in capsules of up to 20 people within a kilometer of their homes. Israel’s senior legal officials asserted on Thursday morning that protests can only be banned if there’s a total hermetic closure of the private sector which means that up to 2,000 people will be permitted to protest in capsules of 20 people within one kilometer of their homes.

A study by the Weizmann Institute of Science says that the infection rate won’t significantly decrease until November, meaning that the economy would have to remain closed until then, Channel 12 News reported on Thursday.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)