Israel to Start Easing Restrictions on Economy

(Bloomberg) --

Israel’s government approved the first easing of the lockdown imposed on its economy as the country’s coronavirus outbreak showed signs of slowing down.

Starting Sunday, offices can double the amount of workers they let in to 30% of staff, and stores selling goods such as home furnishings and electronics can reopen, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address Saturday night. Malls will remain closed.

There are 13,265 confirmed cases of the virus in the country, and 164 people have died. The number of patients in critical condition and those on ventilators fell 2.4% and 7.4%, respectively, over the past 24 hours.

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