12 june 2020
Top ultra-Orthodox adjudicators claim function transgresses prohibition on work on the Sabbath, suggest hiring non-Jewish workers to conduct temperature check on weekends
Prominent ultra-Orthodox adjudicators published a letter on Tuesday calling on believers to avoid entering public spaces that conduct temperature checks on the Sabbath, both manually and automatically.
"Temperature checks run at the entrance to hospitals and other public places (such as guest houses, etc.) raise concerns of transgressing the prohibition on work on the Sabbath – so do any electronic operations done to measure temperature or any writing generated on a monitor as a result," the letter read.
As a solution to the problem, the signees proposed that non-Jewish workers will be responsible for conducting temperature checks on the weekend.
"Entering these places on the Sabbath is strictly prohibited, except life-threatening situations according to Jewish law. The right thing for hospitals would be to let non-Jews perform the checks and allow entry to patients in non-life-threatening situations as well."
Meanwhile, the Zomet Institute - an Israeli high-tech non-profit organization specializing in IT equipment and electronic appliances designed to meet Jewish law standards - claims that such automatic electrical activities, whose benefit to the user is uncertain, are allowed on the Sabbath.
The institute said that "writing" digits over an LCD monitor is done by simply modifying the position of molecules, and therefore it should not be considered prohibited writing on the Sabbath if it is automatically generated.
According to these two standards, the Zomet Institute has recently developed a thermometer approved for use on the Sabbath.
Avraham Reznikov, rabbi of Ichilov Hospital, where the thermometers in question are installed, also addressed the issue, comparing automatic thermometers to security cameras.
"From a halakhic standpoint, there is no difference between using security cameras in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter and thermal cameras that warn of higher-than-normal temperatures," said Reznikov.
Prominent ultra-Orthodox adjudicators published a letter on Tuesday calling on believers to avoid entering public spaces that conduct temperature checks on the Sabbath, both manually and automatically.
"Temperature checks run at the entrance to hospitals and other public places (such as guest houses, etc.) raise concerns of transgressing the prohibition on work on the Sabbath – so do any electronic operations done to measure temperature or any writing generated on a monitor as a result," the letter read.
As a solution to the problem, the signees proposed that non-Jewish workers will be responsible for conducting temperature checks on the weekend.
"Entering these places on the Sabbath is strictly prohibited, except life-threatening situations according to Jewish law. The right thing for hospitals would be to let non-Jews perform the checks and allow entry to patients in non-life-threatening situations as well."
Meanwhile, the Zomet Institute - an Israeli high-tech non-profit organization specializing in IT equipment and electronic appliances designed to meet Jewish law standards - claims that such automatic electrical activities, whose benefit to the user is uncertain, are allowed on the Sabbath.
The institute said that "writing" digits over an LCD monitor is done by simply modifying the position of molecules, and therefore it should not be considered prohibited writing on the Sabbath if it is automatically generated.
According to these two standards, the Zomet Institute has recently developed a thermometer approved for use on the Sabbath.
Avraham Reznikov, rabbi of Ichilov Hospital, where the thermometers in question are installed, also addressed the issue, comparing automatic thermometers to security cameras.
"From a halakhic standpoint, there is no difference between using security cameras in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter and thermal cameras that warn of higher-than-normal temperatures," said Reznikov.
Number of positive tests also on the rise, with significant new diagnoses in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Bnei Brak; rate of infection also greatly increased since last week
The Health Ministry said on Friday that 226 people have tested positive for coronavirus over the last 24 hours.
On Thursday, for the first time since the peak of the epidemic in April, the number of newly discovered coronavirus cases has surpassed 200, and reaching 242 newly daily diagnosed cases.
Another alarming statistic is the number of positive tests in the daily tests conducted. As in the previous four days, the percentage of positive tests was higher than 1%.
The number of tests conducted daily continues to be very high. More than 18,000 tests were done on Wednesday, and on Thursday approximately 15,482 coronavirus tests were performed.
According to the most recent data, 195 people were diagnosed with the virus on Thursday.
And while the Health Ministry claims the number of patients in serious condition remains the same - the National Security Council, which publishes the updated numbers on a daily basis- says there has been surge in the number of seriously ill patients.
According to the data published by the NSC - after a prolonged period of more than a week in which the number of patients in serious condition ranged from 28 to 31- on Friday the number reached 37.
According to the Health Ministry, however, the number of patients in serious condition stands at 34.
Additional data provided by the Health Ministry shows 37 new coronavirus patients have been diagnosed in Tel Aviv, 20 in Jerusalem, 18 in Bnei Berak, and 11 in Petah Tikva.
According to recent data, the numbers of coronavirus patients who require a ventilator has gone up by one, and now stands at 25 - while the number of fatalities from the virus still stands at 300.
According to the Health Ministry, the number of days it takes for the number of coronavirus patients to double itself now stands at 66 days compared to 99 days only last week.
Also, the number of patients diagnosed on Friday is twice that of 67 days ago.
The Health Ministry said on Friday that 226 people have tested positive for coronavirus over the last 24 hours.
On Thursday, for the first time since the peak of the epidemic in April, the number of newly discovered coronavirus cases has surpassed 200, and reaching 242 newly daily diagnosed cases.
Another alarming statistic is the number of positive tests in the daily tests conducted. As in the previous four days, the percentage of positive tests was higher than 1%.
The number of tests conducted daily continues to be very high. More than 18,000 tests were done on Wednesday, and on Thursday approximately 15,482 coronavirus tests were performed.
According to the most recent data, 195 people were diagnosed with the virus on Thursday.
And while the Health Ministry claims the number of patients in serious condition remains the same - the National Security Council, which publishes the updated numbers on a daily basis- says there has been surge in the number of seriously ill patients.
According to the data published by the NSC - after a prolonged period of more than a week in which the number of patients in serious condition ranged from 28 to 31- on Friday the number reached 37.
According to the Health Ministry, however, the number of patients in serious condition stands at 34.
Additional data provided by the Health Ministry shows 37 new coronavirus patients have been diagnosed in Tel Aviv, 20 in Jerusalem, 18 in Bnei Berak, and 11 in Petah Tikva.
According to recent data, the numbers of coronavirus patients who require a ventilator has gone up by one, and now stands at 25 - while the number of fatalities from the virus still stands at 300.
According to the Health Ministry, the number of days it takes for the number of coronavirus patients to double itself now stands at 66 days compared to 99 days only last week.
Also, the number of patients diagnosed on Friday is twice that of 67 days ago.
11 june 2020
Teddy Sagi
Documents reveal Grotto allowed Teddy Sagi not enter quarantine after arriving from Cyprus and head to a lavish rooftop party in Tel Aviv, which apparently violated health orders; sources say requests by celebrities, business people to receive a waiver was a regular occurrence at Grotto's office
The Health Ministry No.2 granted an Israeli-Cypriot billionaire an exemption from having to enter quarantine upon his arrival to Israel in order to attend a party, documents reveal.
According to officials, Teddy Sagi received his waiver from Prof. Itamar Grotto after first contacting the ministry's Director General Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov, who turned down his request.
Sagi apparently said in his request that he was arriving from Cyprus, which is classified as a "green country," a region with low coronavirus spread, and that he had contracted the pathogen in London two months ago and has since recovered.
The billionaire also sent Grotto the results of his blood test and had undergone an additional coronavirus test before boarding a private plane in Cyprus last week.
Upon his arrival, the businessman reportedly headed for a lavish, celebrity-filled rooftop party in Tel Aviv that allegedly had a number of guests much higher than allowed by the Health Ministry, hence violating the guidelines.
The event, a bar mitzvah party organized for the real estate developer Itzik Toledano’s son, was held at a private residence in Tel Aviv and included a firework show and loud music, prompting locals to file multiple noise complaints to the police.
The business mogul's representatives said: "Teddy Sagi entered Israel legally and in accordance with the public health orders."
Health Ministry officials estimate that Sagi was not the only person to receive such a privilege and that Prof. Grotto in the past allowed several others to enter Israel without requiring them to enter quarantine.
Sources within the ministry said that similar requests by celebrities and business people to receive waivers was a regular occurrence at Prof. Grotto's office.
"It's a daily thing," said an official. "We constantly receive requests, but this case is a severe one."
According to reports, Bar-Siman-Tov had sent a “harsh” letter to Prof. Grotto, demanding clarifications on the matter and hinted that he should be fired if the allegations are true.
“An exemption from quarantine, contrary to regulation, does serious damage to the public’s faith in us - the professional health authorities and the government,” he wrote in a copy of the letter obtained by Ynet.
“I hope there is a professionally satisfactory explanation for this, and the reports will prove to be false. However, if they are true then you need to immediately draw the appropriate conclusions,” he wrote, alluding to Grotto's possible dismissal from the position.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein ordered Bar-Siman-Tov to hold a meeting with Prof. Grotto to clarify the matter.
"Now, at a time when there are great efforts being made to explain the importance of adhering to the guidelines to the public, now when we call for tightening of the enforcement, there simply cannot be exemptions that would put the public at risk," Edelstein said.
Documents reveal Grotto allowed Teddy Sagi not enter quarantine after arriving from Cyprus and head to a lavish rooftop party in Tel Aviv, which apparently violated health orders; sources say requests by celebrities, business people to receive a waiver was a regular occurrence at Grotto's office
The Health Ministry No.2 granted an Israeli-Cypriot billionaire an exemption from having to enter quarantine upon his arrival to Israel in order to attend a party, documents reveal.
According to officials, Teddy Sagi received his waiver from Prof. Itamar Grotto after first contacting the ministry's Director General Moshe Bar-Siman-Tov, who turned down his request.
Sagi apparently said in his request that he was arriving from Cyprus, which is classified as a "green country," a region with low coronavirus spread, and that he had contracted the pathogen in London two months ago and has since recovered.
The billionaire also sent Grotto the results of his blood test and had undergone an additional coronavirus test before boarding a private plane in Cyprus last week.
Upon his arrival, the businessman reportedly headed for a lavish, celebrity-filled rooftop party in Tel Aviv that allegedly had a number of guests much higher than allowed by the Health Ministry, hence violating the guidelines.
The event, a bar mitzvah party organized for the real estate developer Itzik Toledano’s son, was held at a private residence in Tel Aviv and included a firework show and loud music, prompting locals to file multiple noise complaints to the police.
The business mogul's representatives said: "Teddy Sagi entered Israel legally and in accordance with the public health orders."
Health Ministry officials estimate that Sagi was not the only person to receive such a privilege and that Prof. Grotto in the past allowed several others to enter Israel without requiring them to enter quarantine.
Sources within the ministry said that similar requests by celebrities and business people to receive waivers was a regular occurrence at Prof. Grotto's office.
"It's a daily thing," said an official. "We constantly receive requests, but this case is a severe one."
According to reports, Bar-Siman-Tov had sent a “harsh” letter to Prof. Grotto, demanding clarifications on the matter and hinted that he should be fired if the allegations are true.
“An exemption from quarantine, contrary to regulation, does serious damage to the public’s faith in us - the professional health authorities and the government,” he wrote in a copy of the letter obtained by Ynet.
“I hope there is a professionally satisfactory explanation for this, and the reports will prove to be false. However, if they are true then you need to immediately draw the appropriate conclusions,” he wrote, alluding to Grotto's possible dismissal from the position.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein ordered Bar-Siman-Tov to hold a meeting with Prof. Grotto to clarify the matter.
"Now, at a time when there are great efforts being made to explain the importance of adhering to the guidelines to the public, now when we call for tightening of the enforcement, there simply cannot be exemptions that would put the public at risk," Edelstein said.
Nearly three months since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in Israel, the number of deaths from the disease has reached 300, health officials confirmed on Thursday morning.
Israel over the past few weeks has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 as more and more businesses reopen. Over the past few days, the number of daily infections has consistently surpassed 100, steadily increasing every 24 hours.
The National Security Council said 22 new diagnoses have been recorded since midnight on Tuesday, bringing the total number of active patients in Israel to 2,947.
The number of patients in serious condition also increased and now stands at 29, with 24 people needing ventilator support.
Since midnight Thursday, 23 people were confirmed to have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 15,214.
Health officials said that on Wednesday they conducted at least 12,716 coronavirus tests across the country, a slight drop from the number of tests in recent days.
In the month of June so far, 1,357 tested positive for coronavirus out of 133,000 tests that were conducted, meaning 1% of tests came back positive.
Since the start of the epidemic in the country, 18,461 people tested positive for COVID-19.
The Education Ministry said that since Wednesday evening, nine schoolchildren and staff members tested positive for the pathogen, with 27 being ordered to enter quarantine.
Israel over the past few weeks has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 as more and more businesses reopen. Over the past few days, the number of daily infections has consistently surpassed 100, steadily increasing every 24 hours.
The National Security Council said 22 new diagnoses have been recorded since midnight on Tuesday, bringing the total number of active patients in Israel to 2,947.
The number of patients in serious condition also increased and now stands at 29, with 24 people needing ventilator support.
Since midnight Thursday, 23 people were confirmed to have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 15,214.
Health officials said that on Wednesday they conducted at least 12,716 coronavirus tests across the country, a slight drop from the number of tests in recent days.
In the month of June so far, 1,357 tested positive for coronavirus out of 133,000 tests that were conducted, meaning 1% of tests came back positive.
Since the start of the epidemic in the country, 18,461 people tested positive for COVID-19.
The Education Ministry said that since Wednesday evening, nine schoolchildren and staff members tested positive for the pathogen, with 27 being ordered to enter quarantine.
8 june 2020
Alarming spike constitutes Israel's largest leap in daily cases since the end of April; Data shows number of intubated patients, COVID-19 fatalities remains stable
The Health Ministry reported Monday evening that 169 Israelis have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, 125 of them since midnight, in what constitutes Israel's largest leap in daily cases since the end of April.
The fresh spike in positive diagnoses raises the number of active coronavirus patients to 2,607 as only 13 patients recover during the same time period.
There are currently 29 patients in serious condition and 23 of them are receiving respiratory assistance.
Since the onset of the pandemic in the country, 18,032 Israelis have contracted the virus and 298 patients succumbed to complications of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
The ministry also reported that 8,891 coronavirus tests have been conducted since midnight, a relatively low figure when compared to previous days.
Tel Aviv has emerged as Israel's potential coronavirus hotspot after reporting a major rise in new diagnoses over the past three days.
The Health Ministry said 46 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the central city over the past 72 hours, representing a 7% increase.
The figure is unusual for the city, which has seen a consistent decline in the number of new diagnoses throughout the health crisis.
Health officials said the increase is partly due to the outbreak in Yaffa, which is part of Tel Aviv's municipality, where several schools have already been closed after a number of students and staff members were confirmed to have been infected.
The Health Ministry reported Monday evening that 169 Israelis have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, 125 of them since midnight, in what constitutes Israel's largest leap in daily cases since the end of April.
The fresh spike in positive diagnoses raises the number of active coronavirus patients to 2,607 as only 13 patients recover during the same time period.
There are currently 29 patients in serious condition and 23 of them are receiving respiratory assistance.
Since the onset of the pandemic in the country, 18,032 Israelis have contracted the virus and 298 patients succumbed to complications of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
The ministry also reported that 8,891 coronavirus tests have been conducted since midnight, a relatively low figure when compared to previous days.
Tel Aviv has emerged as Israel's potential coronavirus hotspot after reporting a major rise in new diagnoses over the past three days.
The Health Ministry said 46 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the central city over the past 72 hours, representing a 7% increase.
The figure is unusual for the city, which has seen a consistent decline in the number of new diagnoses throughout the health crisis.
Health officials said the increase is partly due to the outbreak in Yaffa, which is part of Tel Aviv's municipality, where several schools have already been closed after a number of students and staff members were confirmed to have been infected.
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