People walk past closed stores inside a shopping center in Tel Aviv, Israel, March 15, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Nir Elias.

Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon on Monday said the government will expand its aid package to help businesses hurt by the coronavirus crisis by another 5 billion shekels ($1.3 billion).

This is in addition to a 10 billion shekel package announced last week, 8 billion of which will be in a fund to provide cheap loans to businesses.

Kahlon also said there would be grants to the self-employed, and allowed for the delay of paying certain taxes.