Decision on Pools, Gyms Postponed to Monday

The government has postponed until Monday a contentious decision on whether or not to re-open swimming pools and gyms, even as the coronavirus continues to rage throughout the country.

The Health Ministry on Sunday evening confirmed that the death toll reached 362 since the initial outbreak, including eight deaths in the 24 hours since Motzoei Shabbos.

According to the figures released by the ministry, 1,206 new virus cases have been confirmed in the past day, bringing Israel’s total to 38,670.

Earlier Sunday, the number of active cases again overtook the number of Israelis who have recovered from the virus, which stands at 18,915. Sunday evening’s numbers show the gap opening even wider with a total of 19,300 active cases.

Of those, 151 are in serious condition — 10 more than Sunday morning — with 47 of them attached to ventilators. Another 108 are in moderate condition, with the rest displaying mild symptoms.

The Knesset’s coronavirus committee said earlier in the day that in the absence of official data on the infection rates in pools and gyms, it would no longer be justified to keep them closed.

The government has bargained for more time, as the Health Ministry promised to furnish the data to committee members.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry wants social distancing rules to apply to private homes as well as public venues, since events that are not permitted in the closed event halls are being held in people’s homes, the Kan public broadcaster reported. It was not clear how such a measure would be enforced, however.