Cabinet decides grades 1-4 to go back to school Sunday, salons to reopen

On Mar 4, 2021

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As Israel’s daily case rate continued to drop a week after a second national lockdown was eased, ministers in the so-called coronavirus cabinet on Monday night approved the reopening of schools for children in first to fourth grade early next week, as well the lifting of a series of other restrictions aimed at containing the pandemic.

Under the plan given the final okay by ministers, children in third and fourth grade will be divided into pods and resume studies five days a week, while those in first and second grade will be split into two groups that will alternate days and go to school only three times a week. Children in fifth grade and above will continue remote learning.

Schools have been closed since September 18, when the nationwide lockdown came into force to drive down infection rates, though preschools and daycares were permitted to reopen last week. The reopening of the school system on September 1 has been partially blamed for a huge spike in virus cases several weeks later that led to the lockdown.

In addition to the decision on schools, ministers on Monday also approved the reopening of hairdressing and beauty salons, and other businesses that receive customers, but only one at a time, also starting this coming Sunday.

Israeli border police officers patrol on Jaffa Street in downtown Jerusalem on as Israel steps out of coronavirus lockdown and rolls back restrictions on October 21, 2020. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)

A separate meeting will be held Thursday to decide on reopening other stores and guesthouses.

Monday’s six-hour-long meeting saw ministers spar over a number of the new measures.

“I won’t support opening commerce. We’re playing with fire here,” Health Minister Yuli Edelstein was quoted as saying by Channel 12, during the discussion on allowing customer-facing businesses to return to work.

In a move that caused special tensions between ministers, it was decided that after-school care programs would resume for grades 1-2, but not in accordance with an outline that will see kids divided into separate pods, an apparent contradiction to the school plan.

During a particularly heated discussion, Finance Minister Israel Katz expressed opposition to having children study at school for only part of the week and said classes should resume in full.

“I’ve reached the conclusion that we have no choice but to let grades 1-2 study,” he said, according to leaks from the meeting. “I don’t know anywhere in the world where they did capsules [in schools].”

First grade students arrive for their first day of school at Tali Geulim school in Jerusalem on September 1, 2020. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Education Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly reacted angrily to criticism of the plan by lawmakers from the coalition’s Blue and White party, some of whom also called for students in grades 1-4 to return to school full time.

“Are we one government or not? I suggest you tell your representatives in the…