Israeli police check a driver in a car at a checkpoint on a main road in Jerusalem as they try to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ammar Awad.

JNS.org – Israel’s coronavirus Cabinet is meeting on Thursday to discuss imposing closures on areas with high rates of infection.

According to Channel 12, the areas under consideration include Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, Ashdod, Beit Shemesh, Ramle, Lod, Yavne, Ra’anana, Modi’in Illit and Kiryat Malachi.

The city of Beitar Illit, which has seen a sharp rise in new infections in recent days, was declared a restricted zone on Wednesday, and closed to incoming and outgoing traffic for seven days—from July 8 to July 15.

Meanwhile, a series of new countrywide restrictions went into effect on Thursday, including a reduction in the amount of hours that buses will be running, and lowering their passenger capacity by half.