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| - The Israeli government slapped restrictions on outgoing flights on Friday as part of a slew of measures to bolster a second virus lockdown imposed last week. The new measures, set to begin at 1100 GMT and affecting workplaces, synagogues and demonstrations, were being thrashed out after the original lockdown rules failed to bring down the world's highest coronavirus infection rate. At Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis queued at check-in after days of uncertainty over how long air travel would remain possible under the tightened lockdown, with many rushing to book Friday departures. Just three hours before the new restrictions were to come into force, Transport Minister Miri Regev announced: "The skies will remain partially open. "The arrangement agreed upon enables leaving the country for whoever bought an airplane ticket prior to the beginning of the lockdown, i.e. today, the 25th, at 1400 (1100 GMT)," she said in a statement. "People who buy a ticket beyond then won't be able to use it," she said, noting Israelis would be able to return to the country "without limitations". Regev did not spell out how the government would ensure flights continued for those with pre-bought tickets, when airlines were not allowed to sell more to fill their aircraft. A 14-day quarantine will be imposed on people landing in Israel from "red countries" with high coronavirus rates, she added. The new lockdown rules, which would close workplaces, shutter markets and further limit prayers and demonstrations, had yet to be finalised in parliament less than two hours before they were due to come into force. The new measures would see synagogues closed except on Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday that begins on Sunday afternoon, during which the numbers of worshippers would be limited. At other times, only outdoor prayers attended by a maximum of 20 people would be allowed. The same restrictions would apply to demonstrations. Late Thursday, Finance Minister Israel Katz said he had convinced fellow ministers to allow much of the private sector to continue working. "I've managed to change the outline for the private sector shutdown and contrary to the government's original intention, enable the continued work of many factories in high-tech, the security industry, construction, finance and services," he wrote on Facebook. Lawmakers were still arguing over the need to restrict demonstrations, and how to do so, with members of the opposition accusing the coalition of shutting down the country to prevent demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. If parliament failed to finalise the restrictions before the start of the Jewish sabbath at sundown Friday, the weekly Saturday night demonstration outside Netanyahu's residence will be free of the new limitations. "Saving lives is our priority -- we are living in a moment of national crisis," Netanyahu told a televised news conference late Thursday, justifying the decision to reinforce the restrictions. The lockdown already closed schools and imposed restrictions on work and leisure. Despite a week of renewed lockdown, Israel still has the world's highest coronavirus infection rate per capita, according to an AFP tally from the past fortnight. More than 215,000 infections and 1,378 deaths have been recorded, out of a population of nine million, with more than 7,500 new cases on Thursday alone. jjm/kir
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