Israel has announced closure of schools three weeks after schools in the country reopened.
The move followed the sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases among pupils and teachers.
According to the statement released on Friday June 5, 2020, by the country’s Ministry of Education, not less than 347 pupils and teachers have been tested positive for the virus.
“The number of pupils and staff in home quarantine grew from slightly more than 16,000 to almost 17,500 in little more than 12 hours,” the statement reads.
Most of the new cases are from Jerusalem, particularly from one high school, the Hebrew Gymnasium, where, as of Sunday, 148 pupils and staff have tested positive.
Israel was quick to impose a stringent lockdown in mid-March, resulting in a relatively mild outbreak of the pandemic in the small Middle Eastern country.
Schools were reopened on May 17, followed by hotels, swimming pools and restaurants some 10 days later.
On Saturday, Israel’s beaches were packed, with many beachgoers ignoring an obligatory Health Ministry guideline to wear a face mask.
As of Sunday, a total of 17,783 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Israel, of whom 15,064 have recovered.
