People wear face masks while exercising and kids play around near the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in Ashkelon, Israel, after the easing of coronavirus-related restrictions, May 4, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Amir Cohen.

JNS.org – A seven-day lockdown on several neighborhoods in the Israeli cities of Lod and Ashdod went into effect on Thursday morning as the number of daily coronavirus infections in the country continued to climb, approaching 1,000 for the first time in months according to health officials.

Travel in and out of the closed zones will be highly limited, and traffic and businesses within these areas will also be restricted. The lockdown will last until 8 am on Thursday, July 9. The Health Ministry director-general will also sign orders restricting the activities of educational institutions and prevent congregation in the city of Beitar Illit, according to a joint statement by the Health Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office.

According to the Health Ministry, 966 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with the total number of active cases currently standing at 8,647, only 58 of which are considered to be serious. While the infection rate has been steadily increasing, the number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators has remained relatively stagnant at 24.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday declared a five-day lockdown in all of the areas under its control, amid a steep rise in the number of daily coronavirus infections. All businesses are to be shuttered, with the exception of pharmacies and supermarkets, and all non-essential travel will be forbidden.