5th,6th,11th and 12th grade students will return to school in green and yellow locations

The Corona Cabinet on Monday approved the return of fifth, sixth- and eleventh-twelfth-grade students in green and yellow localities to school, and the immediate opening of open shopping centers in green localities. According to the cabinet decision, students in grades 5-6 will return to classes next Tuesday (November 24), while students in grades 11-12 will return on Tuesday in the following week (December 1). In addition, the "Green Tourism Islands" program has been approved.
At the beginning of the discussion, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ganz presented a draft resolution to the Cabinet, according to which, among other things, in the orange localities, legislation to impose a night closure will be advanced and in the red localities, the criteria for imposing a general closure will be expanded. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense also agreed that the representatives of the malls will formulate a pilot for the operation of one mall in a limited way. Subject to its success, it will be decided on the date of opening the malls later.
At a press conference he convened after the cabinet discussion, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he had talked with Russian President Vladimir Putin about bringing the Russian "Sputnik 5" vaccine to Israel.
"I am sure you have heard the excellent news from Moderna, that it has developed a vaccine for Corona with an efficiency of 94.5%. As early as June, I confirmed with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein the signing with Moderna on the supply of vaccines to Israel At the beginning of his remarks.
"Last Friday," Netanyahu added, "we also signed with Pfizer for 8 million vaccines for 4 million citizens. Tonight I spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the possibility of purchasing their vaccine. It is not a matter of years - but a few months."
Netanyahu added that Israel had succeeded in lowering the morbidity data "to a level that is considered one of the lowest in the Western world," as he put it. "I have asked the Ministry of Health to present me with further steps to reduce morbidity," he said. We need more steps. "If we see a geometric increase - and this could happen to us in the coming days - every section in the plan (of the Cabinet decisions - AA) - could be canceled. We have the option to get out of the corona. We will not endanger the health and lives of Israeli citizens."
When presenting the summaries between him and Ganz, Netanyahu wanted to comment that in the event of a rapid upward trend, everything will stop, in his words. "I spoke with Sebastian Kurtz (Chancellor of Austria - AA), I asked him 'why did you close the schools?'" Netanyahu said. They have a very high morbidity. I asked President Putin, who told me that in Russia, in some places everything is closed. Open in Moscow until sixth grade. I suggest we have until Tuesday, it's time to see what develops with us. "
Education Minister Yoav Galant asked to start the opening this coming Sunday and the one that follows. "There is no need to postpone it," he said. "I also want to include the tenth grades and finally also return the middle schools." According to Galant's proposal, the fifth-sixth grades will return to school this coming Sunday, November 22, the tenth-twelfth grades will return on November 29, and the students in the divisions will return on December 6.
Health Minister Edelstein said he "can live with the opening of the Bigs," as he puts it. "As for education, I think it's too early," he added. "I ask that there be a discussion about it and I do not know how to point now to steps for another two or three weeks." Minister Meirav Cohen, for her part, said that she wanted to hear the position of the Ministry of Health, since the agreements between Ganz and Netanyahu did not fit the outline proposed by the Ministry of Health in any way.
Cohen added: "I feel like yesterday we talked about two strategies - to be conservative and avoid a third closure, or to proceed with the understanding that it will clearly come. We seem to have chosen the second strategy. "That it is ineffective? I pray that we will not return to another closure in a few weeks."
Prime Minister Netanyahu replied: "If we see the beginning of a geometric increase - branches from this branch will be cut off. We will not wait for 2,000 and 4,000 infected as last time. We will lower it long before. We will not necessarily reach a general closure, but we will lower some branches."
Cohen noted to Netanyahu that the relief in the current closure was done by 2,000 people a day because there was an orderly plan of meeting the goals. "Now we are deviating from it," Cohen stressed.
Netanyahu stated in her address again: "Now we are on average about 650 a day. As soon as it starts to rise - we will stop. We open the accordion, maybe a little more than we want and need to get it. This is the method. Just remember that with the opening - there will also be contraction."
On the issue of opening trade, the position of the Ministry of Finance and the merchants today received a surprising backing from the Deputy Chief of Staff for National Security (National Security Council) Eitan Ben-David, who said in the Corona committee in the Knesset: I do not agree with that. It is worth opening up. "Ben-David added that" we are in continuous contact with all the organizations in order to hear first-hand both the problems and the ways in which this sector can be opened up, while neutralizing illness. All of these things are reflected in the Corona cabinet. Cabinet discussions are getting deeper and deeper. "
In yesterday's cabinet discussion, new restrictions were also considered, alongside or in place of the third relief phase. The new corona projector, Prof. Nachman Ash, alongside the police, expressed opposition to the possibility of a night curfew, claiming it would not be effective. During the discussion, Netanyahu raised the possibility of suspending trade from 19:00, and Minister Katz objected.