Crowds gathered in Jerusalem on Sunday for the Jewish holiday of Purim, despite coronavirus restrictions.
Authorities are concerned about a situation similar to last year, when Purim celebrations helped fuel an initial wave of the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic. The government urged the population to celebrate at home this year, and the police tried to block vehicular entry into Jerusalem, in addition to declaring strict limits on public gatherings.
But the restrictions were insufficient to prevent street festivities and mass prayers in ultra-Orthodox areas, where security rules have been repeatedly violated. With a traffic jam at the entrance to Jerusalem, Israeli televisions showed videos of ultra-Orthodox families walking on the side of the road to enter the city.
Purim commemorates the triumph of the Jews over a tyrant from ancient Persia and is celebrated with costumes, drinking, and parties.
The holiday was celebrated throughout the country on the weekend, and the festivities in Jerusalem took place a day later than in the rest of the nation. Similar security breaches were recorded in both secular and religious areas of the territory.
The festivities threaten to undermine Israel’s successful vaccination campaign. The country has already inoculated most of its adult population, but many people under 40 have been slow to do so.
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