Beitar Illit Coronavirus Patients to Be Evacuated to Hotel

After several meetings with the mayor of Beitar Illit, Rabbi Meir Rubinstein, the government decided to open a “Coronavirus Hotel” for treatment of patients from Beitar Ilit.

Following an assessment, the decision was made to transfer 280 coronavirus patients within 48 hours. They will be transferred to the Kinar Hotel.

Rabbi Rubinstein said, “I’m glad the authorities are waking up. Unfortunately, the closure on the city has not yet been removed, but we will work together to remove the sick from the city, to reduce the morbidity in the hope that the closure will be lifted soon.”

The mayor requested from all relevant authorities to evacuate those who have tested positive. “Without this,” he noted, “the city will be under lockdown for a long time – which would be destructive to the residents’ lives and livelihoods.”

The Ministerial Committee on Declaring Restricted Zones decided Tuesday night to declare Beitar Illit as a restricted zone for seven days, which began at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Entry into, and exit from, the city, will be restricted, as will be movement and businesses within the city itself.

Beitar Illit had 169 new cases diagnosed in the past week.

This measure was the latest to be implemented by the government which has been scrambling to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the country.