Guidelines for the New Routine April 2020

Businesses, Stores and Services

Businesses Permitted to Operate

All businesses, stores and services are permitted operation (except businesses which are forbidden from operating, see below), provided they satisfy the "Purple Badge" prerequisites and the relevant directions for each industry sector.

Establishments that are forbidden from operating:

• Discotheques, bars, and pubs;
• Playgrounds in parks, communal gardens, amusement parks, and recreational facilities;
• Movie and stage theaters, other cultural establishments, and museums or institutions that allow children to touch the exhibits
• Public sailing vessels and cable cars;
• Event and show venues, and fairgrounds;
• Tourist attractions.

Business activities at the customer's home are forbidden as well.

For further information about the relaxed restrictions

Employees and Employers

• Industries, manufacturers and service providers can increase their workforce to 30% max or up to 10 employees simultaneously in the place of work, whichever is higher.
• Places of work and businesses that satisfy the "purple badge" (Hebrew) rules can have a bigger workforce (up to 100%), if they:
  • Appoint a Coronavirus Supervisor on behalf of the employer.
  • Practice strict hygiene: Avoid close contact, handshakes, sharing utensils.
  • Prohibit gatherings around the coffee machine and in the kitchen and allow eating in the office as much as possible.
  • Keep a distance of 2 meters between people.
  • If they take the body temperature of employees at the entrance to the workplace. An employee with a body temperature that exceeds 38°C shall be denied entry to the workplace.
  • If they can keep the same group of workers in the same transport group and the same shift as much as possible.
  • Only two employees can share a room of up to 20 square meters - or a larger number of employees, if  there is a partition between employees that prevents spreading of respiratory droplets.
  • A room that is larger than 20 square meters can accommodate no more than 5 employees or a larger number of employees if there is a partition between employees.
  • Meetings and conferences are permitted if there are no more than 8 employees in the same room.
  • If one of the employees becomes infected with the coronavirus in the workplace, all or part of the workplace will be closed until the Ministry of Health completes the epidemiological investigation.
  • In addition, it is recommended that employees with background illnesses avoid physically arriving to the workplace.

Compliance with the Purple Badge rules will be through self-regulation. As long as the business complies with the rules, it can resume activity immediately official approval.

Further information about the "purple badge" (Hebrew)

Violation of the rules is a criminal offense and older restriction will be re-imposed.

Public sector employees

• Essential personnel will continue to work - some remotely, the rest in the workplace.
• Nonessential personnel are defined on a leave of absence, half of it will be at their own expense and half at the employer's expense.

Preventing Crowding

The restriction on going out to the public space has been lifted, and you can go anywhere, unless the place is forbidden from operating (given under "Businesses, stores and services").

Preventing gatherings

• Organized gatherings of more than 2 people in a closed space is not allowed, or more than 50 people in an open space, except if living in the same household.
• During physical activity in pairs or a single individual, or people of the same household, there is no duty to wear a mask.
• It is forbidden to use public playgrounds. Subject to social distancing and preventing overcrowding, physical activities in public gyms and parks are allowed.
• Circumcision may be held in closed space only, with participation of no more than 19 people, who will keep 2 meters distance.
• Prayer in a closed space is permitted under restrictions: no more than 50 individuals, 2 meters distance, wearing masks and appointing a "Corona Supervisor".
• For purposes of immersion in a women’s mikveh with a prearranged appointment.
• For purposes of immersion in a men's mikveh on condition no more than 3 people are on the premises.

When you go to a public place, you are required to:

• Wear a face mask.
• A distance of at least 2 meters must be maintained between two people.
• Practice strict hygiene and sanitization.

Education

• Education and Red Areas

  • The education system resumes its activities. It will be gradual, judicious and in accordance with the preparedness of each local municipality.
  • In "restricted areas", i.e. centers of infection, education will not resume.
  • For further information, visit the Ministry of Education (Hebrew)>
  • Red areas

  In municipalities defined as "red areas", school activity will be reduced:

  • Beit Shemesh
    • Nahala and Menuha neighborhoods and Ramat Beit Shemesh II.
  • Bnei Brak
  • Bi'ina
  • Deir al-Assad
  • Hura
    • Neighborhoods 9 (Kawain) and 10.
  • Jerusalem
    • Quarter 1: Excluding Jerusalem environs Kfar Akav, Atarot industrial area, Beit Hanina, Pisgat Ze'ev and Shalom Neighborhood.
    • Quarter 2: Excluding the Har Hotzvim Industrial Area, Emek Ha'arazim Metropolitan Park and Emek Motza Metropole Park.
    • Quarter 3: Excluding Givat Shaul Industrial Area, Beit Hakerem, Mount Herzl Institutional Administration, Yuvalim, Gani, Ramat Danya and Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.
    • Quarter 5: Excluding the administration of the Kiryat Leum Institution and Beit David.
    • Quarter 7: Excluding A-Tur, administration of Mount Scopus, Issawiya and Hagiva Hatzarfatit.

  Jerusalem Quarter Map (Hebrew)>

  • Netivot
    • Netaim and Shalom Bonayikh neighborhoods, as well as these streets: Hazani, Zaban, Hatzeela, Brosh, Bilu and Gershonovich.
  • Youth camps and summer camps remain closed.
  • Special educational institutions operate in groups of no more than 17 individuals except for nursing patient with a severe intellectual disability where the groups are up to 6 individuals.
  • Studies supervised by the Council for Higher Education are carried through remote learning.
  • Classes are not held, even with a minimal number of participants, in public or private settings.

Transportation

Private vehicle

• Traveling in a private vehicle will be with two passengers only (a driver and a passenger)
• People of the same household can travel together, even more than 2 passengers in a vehicle.
• More than two passengers are allowed to travel in a private vehicle for essential purposes only, such as transporting a person for medical purpose, transporting of a minor between divorced parents, transporting a minor whose guardian must leave for an essential need where there is no responsible person to watch the child or traveling for a purpose of social welfare. However, it is recommended to avoid traveling with more than 3 passengers in a vehicle

Public transportation

Buses, trains, light rail or shuttle service:

• An empty row must be kept behind the driver
• There will be no more than a single person, sitting on a bench
• Standing passengers must maintain a distance of 2 meters from others
• It is the passenger’s responsibility not to use public transportation with fever, exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, cough, or breathing difficulty
• Wash hands after each trip
• Windows shall be open during the trip
• The vehicle must be ventilated and its inner surfaces cleaned after each trip

Taxis

• Taxi services will be allowed only with one passenger, sitting in a back sit, while the windows of the vehicle are opened
• An escort is allowed in addition to the passenger in a taxi, for transporting a person for medical purpose, transporting of a minor between divorced parents, transporting a minor whose guardian must leave for an essential need where there is no responsible person to watch the child, or traveling for a purpose of social welfare.

Shuttle services

• Shuttle services for employees are allowed to/from their working place, in accordance with the guidelines

Healthcare Services

Hospital Healthcare

Hospital elective treatments have been resumed: elective surgeries, surgeries with local or spinal anesthesia, general anesthesia and dental care, outpatient and ambulatory treatments, complementary medicine, and healthcare professional services.

Restrictions

• Hospital must prevent congregate settings, maintain social distance, wear a mask, sanitize hands and monitor symptoms in treatment and waiting rooms.
• Prefer using "remote medicine", especially with populations at risk.
• Medical staffs will be separated so that they do not meet with each other, as much as possible.
• Strict appointment scheduling to allows maximum separation between patients in waiting and treatment rooms.
• In case patients need human assistance, a caregiver who can wear a mask and gloves can be brought into the treatment or examination room. Caregivers shall practice social distance and wear appropriate protection in the waiting room, as required.
• The activity will not include group treatments in which patients stay in one space or individual treatments performed in a single space with several therapists and patients with no separation.

It should be emphasized that medical tourism therapies are not allowed.

Community Healthcare

• Prevent congregate settings, maintain social distance, wear a mask, sanitize hands and monitor symptoms in treatment and waiting rooms.
• Prefer using "remote medicine", especially with populations at risk.
• Strict appointment scheduling to allow maximum separation between patients in waiting and treatment rooms, calls must be done ahead of arrival in a clinic to enable unnecessary arrivals and to channel some calls to remote medicine.
• The activity will not include group treatments in which patients stay in one space or individual treatments performed in a single space with several therapists and patients with no separation.
• In case patients need human assistance, a caregiver who can wear a mask and gloves can be brought into the treatment or examination room. Caregivers shall practice social distance and wear appropriate protection in the waiting room, as required.
• Proactive monitoring of groups of patients at risk, especially the elderly, through virtual sessions or home visits.
• Separation of treatment times or physical separation between patients that have fever or acute respiratory illness, and patients that have other symptoms.
• Medical staffs will be separated so that they do not meet with each other, as much as possible.

Community Healthcare for People in Isolation and Confirmed COVID-19 Patients

Providing healthcare for people in isolation or confirmed COVID-19 patients will be done according to following guidelines:

Deferring non-urgent treatments after completing the required isolation duration.

Remote medicine should be the default.

If necessary, have a medical examination or treatment done at home.

In urgent medical cases requiring a non-virtual medical checkup and if it is not possible to attend the patient at home, a HMO specialist physician shall authorize arrival to the appropriate medical setting in coordination with that place: a clinic or institution in the community or hospital, with full protection.

Community Dental Care

Community dental clinics can provide dental care, even if it is not an emergency, in the following cases:

• Completion of discontinued treatments due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and if postponed would impair the quality of the planned treatment.
• Cases that can get worse if not treated immediately.
• Treatment of conditions that interfere with patients' daily activities.
• Routine tests and routine preventive dental care – according to the risk assessment of the patient's status.
• As much as possible, non-urgent dental treatment should be deferred in patients with chronic conditions who have an increased health risk and patients older than 67.
• Consider postponement of tartar removal with an ultrasonic device as much as possible and opt for manual tartar removal.

Restrictions

• Prevent congregate settings, maintain social distance, wear a mask, sanitize hands and monitor symptoms in treatment and waiting rooms.
• Ventilate treatment areas, sanitize surfaces that patients touch, even outside the treatment room.
• Strict appointment scheduling to allow maximum separation between patients in waiting and treatment rooms, calls must be done ahead of arrival in a clinic to enable unnecessary arrivals and to channel some calls to remote medicine.
• Making sure that there will be no more than 3 individuals in a treatment room (physician, patient and caregiver). In case the patient needs another caregiver, the latter must wear a mask and gloves in the treatment room or examination room. Caregivers shall practice social distance and wear appropriate protection in the waiting room, as required.
• For each patient, consideration should be given to the benefit obtained from this treatment in relation to the risk level according to age and overall medical condition.
• No patients staying in isolation or confirmed COVID-19 patients will be admitted. Patients with undiagnosed respiratory symptoms have to wait at least two days after respiratory symptoms subside.
• Patients who cannot be admitted to the clinic will be referred to their HMO's Hotline for the appropriate therapy.

Healthcare Services in "Restricted Areas"

Localities or neighborhoods defined as "restricted areas", the extent of healthcare services will be significantly reduced and only emergency dental care will be provided.

Read more about the gradual return of the healthcare system to customized elective activities (Hebrew)

Populations at Risk

• The following people must take care to avoid leaving home, hosting people at their home, except for essential services:
  • Seniors
  • Patients with chronic disease of any age
  • Patients with persistent respiratory diseases, including asthma
  • Patients with autoimmune diseases
  • Patients with cardiovascular diseases
  • Patients with diabetes
  • Patients with diseases and conditions that may harm the immune system
  • Patients with malignant diseases

Traveling Abroad

• The Ministry of Health pleads with the public to avoid traveling abroad as much as possible
• Note movement restrictions, applied by the authorities at different destinations
• Before traveling, it is advised to updates regarding morbidity state, Ministry of Health’s guidelines, Ministry of Foreign Affairs guidelines and regulations of local authorities at the destination of the trip
• In case of a trip:
  • Maintain social distance
  • Avoid contact with patients, who have acute respiratory disease
  • Avoid contact with animals, live or dead, and animal markets
  • Adhere to strict hygiene
  • Avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare institutions
• In case of:
  • Appearance of fever or acute respiratory disease, while staying abroad or in Palestinian Authority in the 14 days prior to returning to Israel
  • Contact with confirmed patient in the 14 days prior to returning to Israel

Do not fly and get medical evaluation locally. Reduce contact with others and adhere to strict hygiene.

• Healthcare system employees are not permitted to travel abroad
• Workers of the state are not permitted to travel abroad on duty, except in exceptional cases

Open Space Behavior Guidelines

• One must wear a mask at all times outside of the home (there is no need to wear it at home). It is recommended to use a homemade cloth or a dedicated mask that is fitted tightly to the mouth and nose. Wash hands after touching the mask. Instructions for wearing a mask
• Masks are not required for:
  • Children under the age of 7
  • Mentally, psychologically or medically disabled people who have significant difficulty using the mask
  • When in a vehicle, building or room without another person or with only people living in the same household
  • Participants in the media
  • Two employees working regularly in one room in the workplace provided they maintain the required distance from each other
• Keep person-to-person distance of 2 meters.
• Do not go to public places if you have fever or if you have respiratory symptoms (this includes public transportation and open public settings such the beach or a park).
• Avoid physical contact, including hugging and handshakes
• Do not open doors with the palm of your hands (you can use tissue), sanitize handles and doors.
• Avoid touching the face as much as possible
• Wash hands frequently
• Maximal house ventilation is important
• Avoid kissing mezuzahs and other non-personal holy vessels
• Avoid shared eating (utensils, plates and food)
• Use elevator up to 2 people simultaneously and keep your distance from other people. If the building has more than 5 floors, use elevator up to half the permitted capacity (unless living in the same household).

Beyond Regulations

Beyond regulations, the common need to adhere to the guidelines should be emphasized in order to eradicate the spread of the novel coronavirus.

You must wear a face mask in public spaces and at work!

Vising First Degree Relatives

Rules for behavior when visiting first degree relatives, especially grandparents:

• Only one nuclear family may visit the grandparents at a time
• No overcrowding at the grandparents' house – The number of people allowed is subject to the ability to maintain a distance of 2-meters from person to person.
• Wash hands immediately upon entering the grandparent's house – Do not touch anything before.
• Keep your distance – Don't kiss, hug or touch, and wear masks at all times.
• Do not share utensils – Use plastic utensils or one serving spoon for each dish. Wash the dishes in the dishwasher at a temperature of 60 degrees or more. 
• Do not come for a visit if you have a fever or respiratory symptoms.
• Keep the house well-ventilated – Open windows, balcony doors, etc.
• In as much as possible, hold the family visit in an open space around the house, all the while abiding by the Ministry of Health's guidance and keeping a distance from other people in the public sphere.    

Expected Relief Measures

Opening Restaurants, Bars and Clubs

• Date: 27.05.2020
• Restrictions:
• Up to 100 customers – occupancy can be 100%;
• Over 100 customers – maximum occupancy of 85%;
• Distance between tables 1.5 meters;
• Reservations in advance as much as possible;
• Body temperature measurement will be performed on customers at arrival; and
• Opening according to "The Purple Badge" guidelines (disinfectant, cleaning, etc.).

Opening Swimming Pools

• Date: 27.05.2020
• Restrictions:
• 6 m² for swimmers in the water;
• 10 m² per guest outside the pool; and
• Dependent on the approval of the Government to change the regulations

Opening Hotels (Including Dining Rooms and Swimming Pools)

• Date: 27.05.2020
• Restrictions:
• According to restaurant and pool guidelines;
• Subject to Government approval

Extracurricular Activities, Youth Movements, and Informal Education

• Date: 27.05.2020
• Restrictions:
• Maintaining fixed groups with the same participants
• Activities taking place in a preschool or school classroom – 5 m² per person
• Activities taking place in the open – 2 m² per person
•  Studio based activities – 7 m² per person
• Subject to Government approval

Increasing Museum Capacity

• Date: 27.05.2020
• Restrictions: one individual per 7 m² (today, 1 individual per 15 m²)

Increasing Bus and Taxi Capacity

• Date: 28.05.2020
• Restrictions:
  • Intercity buses: 46 passengers max. (except the first row behind the driver, all seats can be used).
  • City buses: 49 passengers max.
  • Minibuses and shared taxis: 75 percent of the max. capacity permitted in the vehicle license.
  • No passengers allowed to remain standing.
  • Taxis: Up to 2 passengers in the back.

Restarting Train Transportation

• Date: 08.06.2020

Opening Event Venues and Gardens

• Date: 14.06.2020
• Restrictions:
• Managing and controlling the event
• Placing signs and disinfecting the complex
• Restricting the number of guests, maintaining social distancing, taking temperature upon entering and wearing masks
• Working in "capsules"
• Further information on the layout for opening event venues and gardens

Renewing cultural events

• Date: 14.06.2020
• Restrictions:
  • Performances and theater shows can be held in halls across the country.
  • They can be held with maximum 75% of the total capacity. (If this means more than 500 people - it is required to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Health).
  • Social distancing, wearing a mask and practicing hygiene are a must.
  • The tickets for the a show will be sold exclusively online.
  • Ticket buyers per one booking can sit next to each other in a "capsule". The capsules will be separated by one seat.
  • No intermissions.
  • Body temperature will be taken at the entrance to the compound.