Israel presents 7-stage lockdown exit strategy

The staged exit plan was put together by a number of government bodies.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

After what Israel’s Channel 12 described as “feverish” talks between a host of government bodies, including Israel’s National Security Council, a seven-stage plan was released on Monday offering an exit strategy from the lockdown that began on Oct. 25.

The corona cabinet still has to approve the plan in a meeting that is to take place on Monday.

Each stage will take two weeks in order to give enough time to ensure the loosening restrictions won’t have a negative impact on the incidence of the disease. Every new stage will also require a government decision or legislation to go forward.

According to Channel 12, the stages will look as follows:

Stage 1: Ben Gurion Airport will be open for business trips only. The education system will open up to the first grade. Businesses that don’t cater to the public will be reopened.

Stage 2: Public sector services will open to 50% capacity. Some of the private sector will open under restrictions. More advanced grades in schools will return to class.

Stage 3: A wider opening of the public and private sector. Restaurants and bars will reopen but only for outside seating and takeout. Barbershops, nail salons and the like will be permitted to reopen.

Stage 4: Professional sports will resume. Gyms will reopen. Pools and hotels will reopen.

Stage 5: Ben Gurion Airport will reopen. Bars and restaurants will be permitted to have indoor seating. Theatres will reopen and cultural activities, concerts and such will be allowed.

Stage 6: The rest of the education system will open.

Stage 7: A complete return to the ‘Traffic Light’ system that had been initially proposed in which restrictions on cities, towns and neighborhoods would only be imposed in relation to the incidence of the disease in those locales.