Israel three-week lockdown to start on September 18

The Israeli government agreed to impose a three-week nationwide lockdown that would go into effect on Friday at 11:00 UTC, on the eve of Rosh Hashana holiday. The country will be the first to reimpose restrictions on a national scale.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a press briefing that warnings by health officials led to the government's decision, which would restrict Israelis to a 500-meter radius of their residence.

With the country already hit by a deep, pandemic-induced recession, the decision to reinstate lockdown has divided the government and the nation.