Israel reported 8,919 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, its highest single-day figure despite lockdown, the country’s Health Ministry said on Thursday. A total coronavirus lockdown was imposed again on September 18 and will last for three weeks in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. The Israeli government has also approved a measure to limit protests within a kilometer (mile) of a person’s home, a controversial step to curb the spread of the virus that critics said is aimed at quashing weekly protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Defense Minister Benny Gantz defended the protest measure in an interview with Israel Radio, saying that at the moment there was “a need for a postponement” in the demonstrations to halt the spread of the disease. He said the lockdown would likely remain for several more weeks. After largely containing the virus in the spring with a speedy response, Israel lifted restrictions too quickly in May, resulting in a rebound in new cases, The Associated Press reported. The Health Ministry has reported at least a total of 248,000 confirmed cases and over 1,500 deaths from the coronavirus.