Serious cases continue to drop while R-value increases to 0.86; health minister says more than 70% of Israelis over the age of 16 have received 1st vaccine dose

Commerce chiefs argue self-employed are paying the price for failure to contain the virus; full closure to take effect midnight Thursday, shutting all schools, non-essential stores

Yuli Edelstein says two-week total closure on public life needed, warns situation even worse that at the start of the previous shutdown; commercial sector backs move