Posted on 11/09/20
Jerusalem, Israel - Nov. 9, 2020 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who along with Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Monday, November 9, 2020, visited the new coronavirus lab at Ben-Gurion International Airport stated: "I am here with the Health Minister and the Transportation Minister on a visit to Ben-Gurion International Airport. We are here with an innovative testing system, with an innovative lab at the airport, in order to allow for rapid tests of outbound and inbound passengers. This can help us get back to a better, quicker, and more efficient aviation routine.
"We succeeded in lowering morbidity from one of the highest rates in the world, if not the highest, to one of the lowest rates in the West, if not the lowest, and we want to keep to it. We succeeded in doing this because we did it together. This was not easy."
In the second stage exit, Sunday, November 8, shops on the street were allowed to open with a limit of four customers. Building construction was not halted at any stage of closure.
On Monday, the sun came out after heavy weekend rains and the weather was greatly improved. In Mamilla Mall most of the shops were open, with lines for take-out food, shoes, clothing, and coffee. There were lights on in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, but hotels are still closed to the public.
Jaffa Gate which had been closed during the full lockdown was open. Most of the stores inside the Jaffa Gate Plaza were open and the stone streets were no longer deserted. Security was more visible than usual.
Walking along Jaffa Road stores were open, Fox had a long line of customers waiting to enter, social distanced on the street along the Light Rail Train tracks. People were eating lunch in multiple outdoor areas. Ben Yehudah also had people coming and going along the mall area and King George Street was busy.
Yoel Salomon Street shops were open but without crowds or lines. However, at the end of the street jeweler Tommy Bok was happy to finally be back in his shop for the first time in months. Bok looked up from behind his counter and waved. Pointing down, he said "Daf Yomi" and smiled before looking back to his sefer.
"We exited from the first stage to the second stage. Morbidity is starting to go up; therefore, we will decide tomorrow or the day after about the third stage. If the indicators do not improve, we will not enter the third stage," said the Prime Minister.
Small business owners who have suffered huge financial losses with forced closures, certainly hope the numbers of people infected with the coronavirus do not go up again and they can keep their shop doors open.
