Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein spoke to the press on Sunday and warned that the second wave of COVID-19 has started, adding that the ministry will soon be imposing new restrictions, including limits on the number of people allowed at gatherings.

Edelstein attributed the second wave to the “spike” in confirmed cases of COVID-19 that have been occurring in Israel since mid-June. “We are in the beginning of a second wave of the virus. Our goal is to obtain maximum results with minimum damage.”

“There is a populist competition of who can disrespect concerns over the coronavirus the most. There are some who say we don’t need to be alarmed by the numbers. There are some who accused me of creating hysteria. It is easy to speak in populist terms in order to score points with some people. It’s easy, but also dangerous. No one has offered a better plan for dealing with this… This isn’t just another type of flu virus.”

Edelstein added that the ministry is trying to balance the country’s health needs with those of the economy but added that if the public fails to adhere to guidelines then a second total lockdown could be forthcoming.

“From day one I always emphasized that if the public doesn’t adhere to the rules, we will end up in another lockdown…We’ve pushed for a significant increase in enforcement. I consider anyone who doesn’t obey the rules to be harming not only himself but also those around him and is liable to harm the economy as well.”

Edelstein also said that he proposed a series of new restrictions to the coronavirus cabinet, including limitations on public gatherings and minyanim in shuls. He also recommended that end-of-year university exams be held remotely and workplaces should be encouraged to have their employees work from home.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)