Israel is about to enter a second nationwide lockdown after its COVID-19 cases saw a major surge since reopening in May

• Israel is about to enter a second COVID-19 lockdown as the country experiences a resurgence in cases following what some say was a fumbled reopening.
• Israel is the first country in the world to reenter a full, nationwide shutdown during the pandemic, per The Times.
• There are more than 145,000 reported cases with nearly 1,100 reported deaths in Israel.
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Israel is about to enter a second COVID-19 lockdown, according to The Times.

Officials made the decision on Thursday to implement a strict two-week shutdown starting next week, per Bloomberg. After that, stringent limitations will be set for everyday activities for another two weeks. Other countries have reimposed partial safety measures following spikes in cases, but Israel is the first to implement a strict, second nationwide lockdown during the pandemic, per The Times.

The move comes as Israel has attempted to grapple with a resurgence in coronavirus cases. Israel came out of its first shutdown in May, at which time the total case count was about 17,000. The lockdown had successfully helped in stemming the spread of the disease in the country, but its case count has ballooned past 145,000 after what some say was a premature reopening. Some new daily tallies are sitting at about 4,000, and there are a reported 1,100 deaths in the nation.

Citizens have criticized Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government’s response to the outbreak in the nation, with many participating in demonstrations protesting for an improvement in economic aid.