Supermarket grocery store
Supermarket grocery storeiStock

Tomorrow (Monday, 3/29/20) at 9:00 a.m. a pilot program that will allow residents to get tested for the coronavirus will be launched at a number of supermarket branches nationwide.

According to Channel 13 reports, testing centers will be set up at a number of Victory branches in Be'er Sheva, Rami Levy in Jerusalem and in the center of the country.

If the move proves effective locating coronavirus patients, the pilot will be expanded to additional branches with the goal of reaching 150-100 stores.

Meanwhile, the Employment Service reported that an additional 21,254 Israelis applied for unemployment benefits today, and as of March, a total of 781,608 are unemployed, with 89.9% of them on paid leave.

Together with the 160,000 individuals on unemployment prior to the corona crisis, the total number of jobless in Israel now stands at 939,459 and the unemployment rate has reached 22.6%.

Rami Graur, CEO of the Employment Service said: "Although the unemployment rate seems to have slowed down compared to previous weeks, it's important to understand – it isn't slowing down and this isn't a change in trend. Every day, tens of thousands of Israelis join the ranks of the unemployed, and at this rate, it is clear to us that the number will surpass one million before we get to Passover."

"That's why tonight we released the national emergency plan to reduce the unemployment rate in Israel in hopes that our recommendations are noticed. we have taken a significant step towards completing the transmission of information on jobseekers to Social Security, transferring 96% of registrants and we will continue transferring new ones. We will take care of this as quickly as possible so that Israelis receive unemployment benefits they are entitled to prior to the Passover holiday," said Graur.