Israeli supermarkets are staying open, Health Ministry confirms

“Citizens of Israel, the supermarkets are staying open, period.”

By TAMAR BEERI

MARCH 14, 2020 19:30

Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov clarified on Saturday afternoon that supermarkets in Israel will not be shutting down amid fears circulated around the novel COVID-19 (coronavirus).

“Citizens of Israel, the supermarkets are staying open, period,” he said. “There’s no need to surge into them. The system is preparing but in every possible outcome, the supermarkets are staying open.

“I ask the public to act responsibly and to listen to the instructions of the certified authorities,” he concluded.

Israelis have been panic-purchasing food and toilet paper amid worries that the country will enter a full lock down due to the virus. The government has yet to announce such a lock down, but further restrictions are expected to be presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night.

Shufersal, a leading supermarket in the country, has announced that due to the increasing number of requests for grocery deliveries on their online platform, they are preparing to significantly enlarge their shifts, including night shifts to answer to the mounting requests of customers. The company is looking for 400 new employees to join them in preparing deliveries.

In addition, it was announced Saturday afternoon that food factories will continue to working normally. The import of food into Israel will continue into the country, as usual.

The release by the Health Ministry clarified that since this means Israel will have as much available food as usual, Israelis should not hoard food.