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Israel is ramping up its enforcement measures ahead of the curfew that's set to take effect on Wednesday afternoon, with officials saying they will use drones and helicopters to monitor the lockdown for the first few days of Passover.
The nationwide lockdown came into effect at 7pm Tuesday and is set to end at 6am Friday, with a curfew - which would effectively bound people to their homes - is set to take effect at 3pm Wednesday, on the night of Seder, and last until Thursday morning.
"We have been using various technological measures in recent weeks, including detection of concentrations of cellular devices that can signal a crowded gathering," Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said in an interview with Ynet.
"So far the enforcement tactic has been explanatory and tolerant, but we are at a stage where anyone who violates the guidelines will be met with uncompromising enforcement measures because they endanger public health."
Erdan said that some 6,000 police officers and 1,400 IDF soldiers will be deployed around the country to enforce the curfew, with a main goal of stopping people from congregating on the night of Seder.
"We paid a heavy price after Purim, and the goal is to prevent the repeat of that," he said, referring to a large spike in the number of coronavirus infections following the celebrations of the Jewish holiday at the start of the March.
The interior minister said one of the biggest challenges is enforcing the restrictions in the Haredi cities and neighborhoods, predominately in Jerusalem, which has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Israel.
"Jerusalem is the biggest challenge. The city is divided into seven districts, and we try to isolate each neighborhood individually with an emphasis on enforcement within the neighborhoods where the rate of the spread is high.”
The nationwide lockdown essentially prevents most Israelis from leaving the municipal boundaries of their own cities, although they would be allowed to shop for essential supplies in their communities close to their homes.