Israel is beginning to open up again. The country has managed to flatten its coronavirus curve, seeing only seven new infections in the past 24 hours, according to worldisraelnews.com. Ben Gurion International Airport is expected to see an increase in flight travel in the coming days. Countries such as Greece and Austria will soon reopen their air routes to Israel, though the initial flights will be experimental. Stipulations will likely include arriving four hours before flights and testing for the virus at the airport. Likewise, restaurants are preparing to reopen indoor seating on Wednesday (27th). Restrictions will include checking customers’ temperatures and distanced seating. Prime Minister Netanyahu has also decided to begin reopening synagogues. Guidelines for worship in synagogues will include limiting the number of people inside to 50, maintaining six feet of space between worshipers, wearing masks, and having a coronavirus official stationed inside the building.
These are all great signs for Israel’s recovery. Economically, these reopenings are huge for Israel, as restaurants and air travel constitute a large part of the country’s revenue. Culturally, access to synagogues is an answer to prayer for many and represents something of a return to a normal time. Most importantly, with new infections nearly eliminated, perhaps the death toll of the virus might not rise again. How people respond to the restrictions and the results of resumed business in Israel will be enlightening for the rest of the world. But Israel has set itself up well for adjusting to a post-pandemic time.
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