⁍ Netanyahu’s government decided on Thursday to tighten a three-week lockdown imposed on Sept. 18.

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⁍ The measures had also sought to restrict citizens’ protests to within 1 km (0.6 miles) of their homes.

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⁍ Parliament failed on Friday to agree on that measure before adjourning for the holiday weekend.

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– Israel has tightened the three-week lockdown put in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus, which has now hit a record high of more than 8,000 cases in the country, the AP reports. The lockdown, which began on Sept. 18, will now last two weeks instead of three; most businesses will be closed, and most citizens will be forced to stay at home. The country’s finance minister says the cost of the lockdown so far is between $3.5 billion and $3 billion, Reuters reports. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames the outbreak on a “state of emergency,” but critics say he’s trying to curtail anti-government protests over his handling of the economy, as well as corruption allegations against him. Netanyahu’s party has proposed new emergency regulations that would “prevent mass demonstrations” until parliament reconvenes on Tuesday. But his defense minister says his party “will not allow emergency regulations to be used to prevent demonstrations,” and a civil liberties group says it “will continue to protest in accordance with the law and with approval from Israel’s police.”