Police officers on Route 1, outside Jerusalem
Police officers on Route 1, outside JerusalemPhoto by Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90

Since Friday morning, the Interior, Health, and Defense ministers, along with the Home Front Command chief and mayors, have been discussing the next steps in the battle to stop the spread of coronavirus in Israel, News 12 reported.

The central issue under discussion is the policy for cities considered to be high risk, such as Bnei Brak, Elad, Modi'in Illit, and Beitar Illit, as well as Jerusalem. The main reason for the delay in the decision is due to political pressure regarding Jerusalem itself, journalist Keren Marciano reported.

The lockdown policy would be a "breathable lockdown" but tighter than what has been until now.

Currently, Jerusalem has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases - 1,780, 66 of which were diagnosed within the past day.

Closely following on Jerusalem's heels is Bnei Brak, with 1,681 coronavirus cases, 114 of which were diagnosed within the past day. However, it is not clear whether the rise is a "true" rise or simply the result of increased testing in Bnei Brak.

Tel Aviv is third, with 434 confirmed cases, 14 of which were diagnosed within the past day.

After Tel Aviv, Elad has the most confirmed cases (226), followed by Ashkelon (220 cases), Petah Tikva (191 cases), and Rishon Lezion (187 cases).