- Title: Israeli police shut down outdoor markets over coronavirus fear
- Date: 22nd March 2020
- Summary: JERUSALEM (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) DRONE FOOTAGE OF NEAR EMPTY JERUSALEM STREET CLOSED SHOPS DRONE FOOTAGE OF NEAR EMPTY STREET DRONE FOOTAGE OF ABANDONED PLAYGROUND VARIOUS DRONE FOOTAGE OF JERUSALEM AERIAL VIEW OF OUTDOOR MARKET WOMAN WEARING FACE MASK BEGGING FOR MONEY AT MAHANE YEHUDA, ONE OF JERUSALEM'S MOST POPULAR OUTDOOR MARKETS WITH POLICEWOMAN STANDING IN THE BACKGROUND POLICE ORDERING SHOP VENDORS TO CLOSE (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI VENDOR YITZHAK RABIN, SAYING: "(They are telling me) Go ahead and close, how can I close? Where will I close, it's a holiday eve, I need to work and make a living." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI VENDOR YITZHAK RABIN, SAYING: "Not so many people come to the market. We want to work and pay (taxes). Nobody thinks about us. Nobody thinks about us. We have to close, and still paying (taxes) and nobody helps us. Please Bibi (using Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nickname) help us." TALI FRIEDMAN, CHAIR OF MAHANE YEHUDA MARKET, WALKING IN MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (English) TALI FRIEDMAN, CHAIR OF MAHANE YEHUDA MARKET, SAYING: "Mahane Yehuda market, which is the oldest market in the country, more than 140-year-old market is about to be closed today which is outrageous. You can look around, you can see the space. We are in the open air, there is no reason for supermarkets to stay open and the market, the authentic market of Israel, will be closed." TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE PATROLLING TEL AVIV'S OUTDOOR CARMEL MARKET, ORDERING VENDORS TO CLOSE SHOPS (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) ISRAELI VENDOR AMNON TOUBI, SAYING: "There's nobody to sell to, you want some? At least (let us sell) the remaining produce. Let us stay her for a few days, finish the produce so we don't have to throw in the trash. What happened? Is this the end of the world?" POLICE ON MOTORBIKE PATROLLING MARKET, PEOPLE WALKING WEARING FACE MASKS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 72-YEAR-OLD TOUR GUIDE, ABRAHAM TASHACH, SAYING: "It's sad. I'm 72 years old, I've seen so many things and this is one of the saddest things that could have been. Simply sad." ABANDONED MARKET VOLUNTEERS GATHERING FOOD FOR THE ELDERLY VARIOUS OF MEN LOADING BOXES OF MEALS ONTO VEHICLES WOMAN WEARING A MASK DRIVING A CAR, PULLING AWAY VOLUNTEERS OPENING BOX, PULLING OUT PACKAGED MEALS VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS ENTERING BUILDINGS, PLACING MEAL ON ELDERLY PEOPLE DOORSTEPS JERUSALEM (MARCH 22, 2020) (REUTERS) ULTRA-ORTHODOX NEIGHBOURHOOD VARIOUS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH WALKING DOWN STREET DESPITE ISRAELI ORDERS TO STAY HOME VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF SYNAGOGUE (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) 48-YEAR-OLD YAAKOV GOTFERB SAYING: "We are following the Health Ministry instructions in their entirety, just as everybody understands - the way paramedics and food are essential, for us Torah (the Bible) and prayers are essential and positive, this is our oxygen. Without the Torah, and not just that, we believe, like our fathers, that this will protect us and stop the epidemic and the Torah is what saves us. We are sons of believers and just as we see the sun now, we know for one million percent, that the Torah protects us and the prayers will stop the epidemic." CHILDREN AND YOUTHS WALKING IN STREETS DRONE FOOTAGE OF JERUSALEM AND THE OLD CITY
- Embargoed: 5th April 2020 15:52
- Keywords: Health Israel Jerusalem Tel Aviv coronavirus markets
- Location: JERUSALEM/ TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- City: JERUSALEM/ TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C64U9MV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Angry vendors in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were forced to shut down their shops on Sunday (March 22) after Israel ordered the closure of outdoor markets as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus.
It comes after Israel reported its first fatality from the coronavirus on Friday (March 20), an 88-year-old man who also suffered from previous illnesses.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday (March 19) tightened a national stay-at home policy, announcing guidelines aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus would now be enforced by police under emergency orders.
The measures stopped short of a total national lockdown: Netanyahu said Israelis would still be allowed to shop for food and medicine, and some workers would be exempted from the restrictions.
Netanyahu had threatened on Wednesday to turn shelter in place guidelines into official orders, enabling police to fine or arrest those who ignore them, unless the public stepped up compliance.
Israel has so far reported 945 cases of coronavirus, the large majority with mild symptoms. About 10 patients are in serious condition and 15 have recovered completely.
Israeli police patrolled Mahane Yheuda, Jerusalem's most popular outdoor markets and Carmel Market in Tel Aviv and ordered vendors to close and go home.
Elsewhere in Tel Aviv, Israeli volunteers delivered packaged meals for the elderly, as part of nationwide initiative organised by the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, and social services.
They said that tens of thousands of elderly Israelis across the country will be supplied with cooked food every day.
In the ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, adults and children were seen roaming the streets despite the government's calls to stay at home.
"We know for one million percent, that the Torah protects us and the prayers will stop the epidemic," said 48-year-old Yaakov Gorferb.
(Eli Berlzon, Rami Amichay, Dedi Hayun, Lee Marzel) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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