Minister Yuli Edelstein
Minister Yuli EdelsteinKnesset spokesman

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein warned during today's meeting of the Coronavirus Cabinet that non-compliance with Health Ministry instructions may lead to tragedy.

Edelstein said that while the Ministry was in favor of re-opening the railway system and cultural institutions according to the return layout, "if there is no public discipline, we will not re-open the railway system and cultural institutions. We can't allow the morbidity rate to go back up as a result of people ignoring instructions."

288 new infections were recorded over the last 24 hours. The number of virus patients in Israel now stands at 3,993, with 36 of them in critical condition and 29 on respirators.

The railway system is to re-open this coming Monday with a limit of up to 75% occupancy, pre-purchased tickets and a ban on eating and drinking during rides. Passengers will be required to wearing protective face masks for the duration of the trip, even while talking on the phone.

Rides will be limited to 500 tickets, which will need to be booked 48 hours in advance.

Earlier in the day, the government declared the neighborhoods of Ara'ra in the north of the country and the Bedouin town of Rahat in the Negev desert as restricted areas. The ruling stipulates that groups of more than 10 people will not be allowed to congregate in these locations and educational institutions will be temporarily closed.

The government also intends to impose a partial closure on the predominantly-Arab Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa as well as the nearby Tzahalon neighborhood.

In a separate development, it was reported that a the Shovavim daycare center in Jerusalem was temporarily closed after a two-year-old was diagnosed with the coronavirus.