How is everyone in the current situation? General Chat

It cannot have done Chris, as it is Shabbat and short of a dire emergency such as a war, there will be no government meetings at least until Shabbat is out, which is at 7.27pm [it is 6.33pm now]. There is a major meeting due tomorrow to discuss a full lockdown starting either Wednesday or Friday but the hareidi [ultra-Orthodox] parties will have to agree and so far they have been fighting against it.

In any case, had there been any notification I would have had a "Breaking News" alert come through on my computer and nothing has - yet. There are no online newspapers operating until after Shabbat as well.

My personal opinion is that we should have locked down weeks ago when the figures started shooting up, and a lot of people also think that, but it is all very political.

According to the Mail Online the situation in England is also not good, but comparing the population numbers it is still far behind the situation here.

@Chris - I think the Daily Express were referring to the following, which was published on Thursday in Arutz Sheva newspaper:

Of course, whether it will be approved or not is a different matter. It has taken long enough for the Coronavirus Cabinet to agree to a lockdown, so what is going to happen with the government is anyone's guess.

Ah I see. So basically our newspapers jumping the gun again and taking a grain of truth and making it into a field of corn. They are ace at it which is why everyone has been so confused about restrictions we have here.

That is a direct copy/paste Chris, although I highlighted the final sentence. I posted that one as it was the most concise, although all the media gave the same information. Arutz Sheva is one of the Israeli newspapers I subscribe to [non paying subscription] and get notifications and alerts by email.

There is no confusion here - just people screaming that they do not care about restrictions and lockdowns, they are going to carry on doing what they want to do. A full lockdown will not make any difference to me and Amit will be able to get to me if necessary because of course he has a permit to travel everywhere.

Now they are talking about schools closing on Wednesday for [?] a month, a two-week full lockdown from 6am Friday, followed by two weeks of as yet as unknown country-wide restrictions.

And half the government is threatening to resign - half if the lockdown goes ahead and half if it does not.

The whole world is in a mess. Nobody knows the best course of action to contain this virus and no matter what Governments do or don't do they get accused of letting the virus get out of hand or not caring.

Our rates are going up at over 3,000 a day over the past few days so I'm guessing our Government is headed for some more tough decisions

Finally agreed after seven hours of arguments. Quoted from the Jerusalem Post.

*** Those will be closed during the Holy Days and main days of the Festivals.
*** Food stores and pharmacies will open.

Families are urged not to have festive meals with elderly parents and grandparents but it does not say they are forbidden. Just very strongly advised.

People are already stating that they will not obey the regulations. They will have their huge family festival meals and go where they want, not just keep to 500m from their home. Small shopkeepers say they will stay open.

In other words, chaos.

And what is the betting that this new law will be changed before Friday?

and I imagine it will be chaos here too if it comes to another lockdown.

At the moment, there's a lot of supposition that only the elderly and vulnerable will be told to shield (in other words lockdown) and everything else will carry on. There's also some talk that pubs and clubs may have a 10 pm curfew.

No matter what rules come in though, unless they are policed and enforced, they will be useless and we don't seem to be too good and policing and enforcing when it comes to the virus.

What was the final sentence of my previous post?

Guess what. Schools were first said to be closed down on Wednesday and it has now been changed to schools staying open until Friday. And the general lockdown, stated yesterday to start at 2pm Friday was then changed to 6am instead and has now been changed back to 2pm.

Booga - I have just checked Tikva's card and she is due for her Parkworm and also yearly booster shots, plus Bravecto - slap bang in the middle of the lockdown. She missed March's Parkworm shot although Ninja was able to pick up the Bravecto for her, and June's lot were OK because Ram could come here.

It will be permitted to go out of the 500m from home for pet requirements, ie food, and also for emergency vet care, but basic care such as shots are not included. I could ask Ninja to pick up the Bravecto as he has a travel permit but as she has to wait for the shots until after the lockdown - assuming it is, in fact, lifted after the three weeks - Ram can bring it with him as usual.

At least I got my pre-Rosh Hashana food delivery yesterday and have an order in and delivery slot booked for Thursday next week - it will then just be either 1st or 4th October to worry about before all the Festivals are over.

Bad news though - yesterday's new cases totalled 5,523

It really is getting scary again

Everyday schools seems to be sending year groups home and cases are rising quickly it seems. The country can't afford another full lockdown so things are truly in a mess

4,950 new cases and 16 new deaths as at 8.30pm today. Definitely very scary now.

What is even more scary is the number of people who not only still deny that the virus exists and that the numbers are made up just to frighten people into submission, and who are saying that they will ignore the lockdown and all restrictions, go where they want and will not wear face masks.

I'd love to know who these conspiracy theorists is the mastermind that has managed to do the impossible and pull the wool over just about every governments eyes globally and got them all singing from the same hymn sheet where the virus is concerned. It must be one helluva guy or gal that can do that

I was wrong - Tuesday's confirmed cases were 5,495 and not 5,223 and latest for Wednesday 6,063 new cases and 18 new deaths - final figures will not be in until the morning.

Chris - either the conspiracy theorists are right and we are all stark raving looney bonkers imagining a non-existent virus - or - or - or what?

Have we all been just imagining it?

Not very good news. Amit has just been round in his IDF Home Front Command uniform to let me know that there are ten confirmed cases on the Moshav. Obviously the news has not come through here yet as the macolet is still open but he said that there will be about a dozen HFC soldiers on the Moshav tomorrow - and I guess the macolet will have to close for deep cleaning.

Anyhow, he has told me not to ask Hai for anything from the macolet until he tells me it is safe to do so.

They have not stopped people going off or coming onto the Moshav at the moment, although the country is in lockdown because of the High Holy Days and Festivals, but people are allowed to travel to buy food/medicines etc, and some companies are permitted to stay open.

What will happen on the Moshav as from tomorrow is anyone's guess, although Ninja will keep me informed as to what is happening.

That's terrible news Juli, keep safe my friend.

We have increased restrictions here, but whether or not they will work is dependent on people sticking to the rules which, I'm afraid, is unlikely to happen.

We already have a rule for only groups of six. During our two hour walk this morning, we've already seen two groups breaking that rule and it's been the same since it came in

Such worrying times for all, socially, economically, and from the health perspective. Easy to become depressed as it is hard to see the light at the end of ts particular tunnel.

9,762 new cases and 31 new deaths from midnight to 9pm today in such a small country as Israel.

I am not depressed - I am resigned to the fact that I will probably have to spend the rest of my life unable to leave my home because of the idiots out there protesting against the restrictions, the government, anything and everything they can think of, blithely ignoring the restrictions because either they do not believe that the virus exists and that it is just a hoax, or that the government are deliberately spreading it.

Or something.

Isn't it strange that as well as a global pandemic with the virus, we also seem to have a global pandemic with idiocy?

I'm starting to think those saying the world is about to end are right because I'm sure we are trying to destroy each other.

All we can hope for is that sanity prevails and we do manage to get this damned thing under control

11,316 new cases and 40 new deaths as of midnight. How - how can such figures in such a small country be possible - yeah, we all know that the weekly demonstrations of thousands of people outside the PMs house could not possibly be the cause. I mean they are only demonstrators therefore restrictions do not apply to them as they could not possibly have spread the infection, could they [sarcasm mode OFF].

That is an increase of 1,154 reported in just three hours. But of course it is not, is it, because people are saying that it is all a hoax.

It has been announced that there will be a full and complete lockdown from Friday until the end of the Festivals. But will it actually come into effect? I doubt it. Yom HaKippurim starts on Sunday night and the Orthodox are screaming because the government wants the synagogues closed. The protesters are screaming and saying they will not obey the lockdown.

And in three-four weeks time half the country will be infected.

I give up. I am tired and I am going to bed.