Outdoor markets and malls opened in Israel on Thursday after more than 40 days of closure due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Ahead of opening, vendors were busy preparing and disinfecting stalls and shops in anticipation of the return of their customers.
At Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market, police had limited the number of people allowed into the compound to no more than 400 at a time.
and had blocked all but two entrances to the market in order to control the volume of people.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said there was much to be grateful for.
"We have been through a relatively long period of closure that has hit many financially," he said, "on the other hand this has been an unprecedented pandemic and we had to limit its effects."
The mayor said he was pleased that the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in his city was down.
"I urge those who can to come to the market but maintain regulations," Lion said.
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Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem
(Photo: Haim Goldtich)
Jerusalem was the hardest hit by the coronavirus and has had to enforce closures on some of its predominantly ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
Tali Friedman, who heads the markets' vendor's association, said special consideration would be given to shoppers who are at greater risk from the coronavirus.
"We will give them quicker access through the entrances and provide them with protective masks," she said.
In the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, vendors were also pleased to reopen and greet shoppers.
The municipality constructed barriers around the perimeter of the market leaving only four entrances open in order to help control the number of people. Shoppers also had to have a temperature check before entering.
"These have been a sad few months," said one shopper. "I have been looking forward to the market reopening."
The head of the local vendors' association, Rafi Mizrahi, said he hoped all limitations on the market's operation would be lifted soon and business would return to normal.
"We will have to be patient," he said.
Malls are required to operate under strict restrictions as they open for business, limiting access of customers to one person for every 20 square meters in the mall, and one person to every 15 square meters inside shops.
Only two people are allowed to staff the checkout in shops smaller than 100 square meters, and four in shops over that size.
Members of staff returning to work at a mall in Rehovot were greeted by the center's management with gifts and welcome cards.
"You have been missed," they were told.
Mall CEO Yehuda Oren said he felt like this was the first day of school.
"We are all excited, we've set up hand sanitizing areas and everything required by health officials," he said.
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A mall in Rehovot opens for business after coronavirus imposed closure
(Photo: Roee Idan)
In Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Center, management set up 60 hand sanitizing stations and prepared to register people as they entered the building to ensure they would not allow more shoppers than the number specified in the regulations.
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Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Mall reopens after coronavirus restrictions were lifted
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
"If we would see the volume of shoppers we were used to, we would have to keep many of them out but that would be a good problem to have," said Dan Piltz the shopping center's CEO.