Embattled Israeli health minister ready to quit, infections exceed 15,000

Israel's embattled health minister on Sunday said he would step down following a public uproar over his handling of the coronavirus crisis and his own coronavirus infection.
Health Minister Yaakov Litzman informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would step aside as the country forms a new government. In a statement, he made no mention of his much-criticized performance at the Health Ministry, which he has led for most of the past decade, and instead said he would take over the Construction Ministry.

In a statement, Litzman said he "decided not to return to the Health Ministry for a fourth time, and prefers to lead a sweeping development for solving the housing crisis in Israel in the Housing Ministry.''
The government has generally been lauded for keeping the coronavirus crisis in check. The virus has infected over 15,000 Israelis and killed nearly 200 people, but Israel has not seen its health system overwhelmed like hard-hit places such as Italy or New York, and the country has begun easing weeks of lockdown.
Litzman, an ultra-Orthodox politician with no formal medical training, has come under criticism for appearing ill-prepared at news conferences and reportedly resisting proposals to tighten lockdown measures that would affect the country's religious community. Early this month, Litzman was diagnosed with the coronavirus, apparently after ignoring his own ministry's orders to avoid group prayer in public places. He has since recovered.
In a TV interview Sunday, Litzman said he had never violated lockdown rules and said he was leaving his job because he was ready for a new challenge, not because of public pressure.
"It's clear things have changed for the better,`` he told Channel 13 TV.
With the crisis appearing to be in check, the Israeli government announced new easing measures Sunday.
Barbershops, beauty salons and other small businesses reopened, and restaurants were permitted to serve takeout orders for the first time in nearly two months. Last week, some shops were allowed to open as well. Malls and outdoor markets, however, remain closed.
The restrictions on many small businesses helped propel unemployment in Israel to over 25 percent since early March.
Merchants at Jerusalem's large central Mahane Yehuda outdoor market protested its continued closure while many other businesses, including furniture giant IKEA, were allowed to reopen. Some major chain stores also refused to open, saying they wanted government compensation for their losses first.
The Hebrew business paper The Marker reported that the owners of IKEA's Israeli franchisee have donated at least US$1.3 million in recent years to the ultra-Orthodox organization that Litzman belongs to. Litzman denied any connection to the decision.-AP