Israel becomes 1st country to impose 2nd nationwide coronavirus lockdown

Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Image credit: DEBBIE HILL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israeli government on Sunday announced it will impose a nationwide, three-week lockdown starting Friday, the eve of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, to combat rising coronavirus infection numbers. The decision comes before a string of national holidays over the next month, which prompted fears of mass gatherings, The Guardian reports.

Although the full details will be released later Sunday, the lockdown reportedly means people can only venture 500 meters from their homes and most businesses will close, making Israel the first country to reimpose such severe restrictions on a national scale after previously implementing a lockdown earlier during the pandemic.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.