AG vetoes weekend curfew, says it is subject to legislation

PM Binyamin Netanyahu convened the cabinet Thursday night to approve the ministerial forum’s recommendations for curbing the spiraling coronavirus infection, which hit 1,758 new cases on Thursday with tests running at 7pc positive. A key measure was a weekend curfew from Sunday, plus closures of summer schools, gyms and restaurants (except for home deliveries). Gatherings were also to be reduced to 10 people indoors and 20 in the open air. Attorney General Avihai Mandelblitt stepped in and ruled that weekend lockdowns were subject to parliamentary approval. It was therefore dropped for the coming week when the other restrictions take effect. The Health Ministry responded that if the government approves all the other restrictions, it will drop its demand for a full national closure in the next two weeks – even if the pandemic figures continue to rise.