The Prime Minister and the Ministers held a nightly consultation ahead of the Corona Cabinet meeting today • The outline: A-B will be divided in half, and will study rotation in class • Grades 3-4 will study in permanent capsules • The possibility of opening street shops and malls is also being considered • Full details
The battle for relief:
In anticipation of the corona cabinet meeting today (Sunday) at noon and in the shadow of the continuing trend of declining morbidity, it appears that decisions will be made today regarding further measures in relief.
As part of the proposed outline, a decision will probably be made regarding the return of first- and fourth-grade students to study in schools in a special outline and the return of some of the trading activities.
Photo: From Benjamin Netanyahu's Twitter account
As part of the attempt to reach the cabinet meeting with cohesive positions, until late at night there was a telephone consultation of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Health Minister Edelstein, Education Minister Galant, in charge of the fight against Corona Gamzo, Minister Yizhar Shai and the head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben Shabbat.
Now, it appears that the agreed outline to be discussed includes the return of first- and second-grade students to study in a half-grade outline, for half a week, in rotation and the return of third- and fourth-grade students to study in regular capsules.
In addition, decisions are expected to be made regarding the restoration of some of the commercial activity of the economy.
Ahead of the Corona Cabinet discussions, Finance Minister Israel Katz claimed in a ministerial consultation with the Prime Minister that the cost of changing the learning system is billions of shekels and said: "Any attempt to change the rules for opening first and second grades to capsule activities now involves an additional cost "NIS 6 billion (for the installation of capsules, for additional instruction and transportation) and a postponement of months for preparation. This means that first- and second-graders will not return to school this year, with all the attendant significance for the children themselves and for the parents' inability to go to work."
Photo: GPO
Minister Katz insisted and said at the hearing that "the Ministry of Health must approve the immediate return of first- and second-graders, ages 6-8, according to the rules he himself set for the start of the school year in September, similar to kindergarten children." : "Increasing the budget framework now, by an additional billions of shekels, is an extremely unreasonable decision and I strongly oppose it.
It is now possible to go for the formula of half education in A-B and half opening of trade of street shops and small businesses receiving crowds, hairdressers, beauty salons, and in the next stage a total opening of all trade.
The Ministry of Finance will formulate the list of businesses that will open on November 1 and conclude it with the Ministry of Health. "
Another significant issue that will be at the center of discussions in the Cabinet today is enforcement and fines.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Health Minister Yuli Edelstein's position over the weekend and expressed support for increasing fines.
"I am going to take further action against the violators of the guidelines, including heavy fines on educational institutions that are opened without a permit."
It should be noted that the proposal to increase the fines was raised by Health Minister Edelstein, after it became clear that Talmudic Torah and yeshivot were opened among the ultra-Orthodox sector in violation of the guidelines.
He explained that "there is a gap between the Corona Cabinet's cautious decisions and what is happening on the ground, of violating guidelines from educational institutions and businesses. Therefore, we will bring the Corona Cabinet a proposal to increase fines strictly."
According to Edelstein, "We will not allow a situation of the righteous and bad for him - and the others are good for them."