Israel made an announcement on Thursday that it will impose a nationwide lockdown from next week, its third of the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdown, just days after it began vaccinations against the virus. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said, "A general lockdown will be imposed from 17:00 (1500 GMT) on Sunday for two weeks". 

"There is an option to extend the lockdown for an additional two weeks, unless the basic reproduction number (for the virus) falls below 1 and the number of new cases per day falls below 1,000", the statement further reads. As per the lockdown guideline, Israelis will be barred from travelling more than one kilometre (1,000 yards or so) from their homes and businesses will be closed except for deliveries. However, for those travelling for vaccinations are exempted from this travel rule and schools will remain partially open for some age groups. 

The new lockdown is imposed due to sharp rebound in the infection rate since the last lockdown in September, when the per capita infection rate was among the highest in the world. Israel with a population of nine million, has confirmed 385,022 coronavirus cases, 3,150 of them fatal. The country started its nationwide inoculation Covid 19 Pfizer-BioNtech vaccination programme on Monday after it received the first consignment. Israel reported 4 new variant Covid 19 positive cases on Wednesday. In response to the report, country banned foreign nationals arriving from Britain, Denmark or South Africa, where a separate new strain has emerged, also has imposed a mandatory quarantine for all abroad arrivals. 

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