Preschool children (Illustration)
Preschool children (Illustration)iStock

Israeli preschools and daycares will be closed from Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Saturday night.

"Beginning tomorrow morning, everything related to culture and entertainment will be closed," he said. He urged that "anyone who does not have to go to work should stay home."

"We will continue ensuring that necessary services are available, and there is no reason to storm the supermarkets."

Finance Ministry Director-General Shai Babad added: "We are not intending to close the private sector. We instructed everyone to try to reduce [exposure] - to work from home, to limit gatherings in workplaces, to limit meetings with a lot of participants."

Following the announcement, the Education Ministry announced that preschools, dormitories, and special education would be closed beginning Sunday.

A statement from the Defense Ministry said: "Defense Minister Naftali Bennett (Yamina) on Saturday evening ordered the union of hesder yeshivas and the military dormitories to cease the dormitories, hesder yeshivas, and post-high school yeshivas' activities, beginning Sunday and until further notice, as part of the steps to limit the coronavirus outbreak."

"On Sunday, the institutions' deans will update all the students and their parents, and afterwards will begin to disperse in an organized fashion. Students in the dormitories and yeshivas who spent the weekend at home are asked not to return to the yeshivas or dormitories at all."