Israel: Dozens of ultra-Orthodox communities expected to go into full lockdown soon
The move comes after Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, was placed on full lockdown last week
The Israeli government is expected to declare full lockdowns of numerous ultra-Orthodox communities across the country and West Bank to contain the fast-spreading coronavirus.
A Knesset (Israeli Parliament) ministerial committee was formed late on Sunday to oversee the decision that is expected to affect at least eight cities that and more than a dozen neighborhoods.
The committee is expected to meet on Monday and declare ultra-Orthodox communities in Elad, Migdal Haemek, Beitar Illit, Ashkelon, Tiberias, Or Yehuda and Modiin Illit "restricted zones."
The decision is also expected to extend to at least 15 neighborhoods in Jerusalem, where the coronavirus has spread like wildfire in recent weeks.
The move comes after Bnei Brak, a Tel Aviv suburb, was placed on full lockdown last week when Health Ministry data showed the city had the second-highest infection rate for coronavirus in the country, just behind the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim.