An empty street is seen in the blocked Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem amid coronavirus pandemic on April 12, 2020. Israel has announced several neighborhoods in Jerusalem as "restricted zones" as part of the fight against the novel coronavirus, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Health announced on Sunday. The decision took effect on Sunday at noon and will be valid until April 15. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Israel has announced several neighborhoods in Jerusalem as "restricted zones" as part of the fight against the novel coronavirus, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Health announced on Sunday.
The restriction includes neighborhoods in four of the city's seven operating districts. These neighborhoods currently have high rates of coronavirus patients.
The main neighborhoods restricted are Neve Yaakov, Romema, Ramat Shlomo and Ramot in northern Jerusalem, Har Nof and Givat Shaul in the west, and Mea Shearim, Geula and the Bukharim neighborhoods in central Jerusalem. Most of the residents of these neighborhoods are ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The decision was taken by the Israeli ministerial committee for defining restricted area, after a nightly telephone meeting.
The decision took effect on Sunday at noon and will be valid until April 15.
Leaving these areas will only be possible for work, essential medical care, funerals of first-degree family members, taking a minor to another parent, legal procedure and any other essential need approved in advance, it said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Israel rose to 10,878 by an increase of 135 cases since Saturday evening, the state's Ministry of Health said Sunday.
Two more deaths were reported from the virus, raising the number of victims to 103, it added.
