Israel’s Health Ministry confirmed 522 new coronavirus cases on Monday morning, with virus tests showing a positivity rate of 2.4%. There are currently 322 seriously ill patients, of whom 138 are ventilated. The death toll has risen to 2,674.
An uptick in coronavirus cases has been seen in Israel in recent days following several weeks of reduced infection rates, leading many health officials to already begin predicting a third coronavirus outbreak.
“We know enough about the virus to see just how stubborn it is,” said Prof. Shuki Shemer, a former Health Ministry director and current Chairman of the Board of Assuta Hospital in Ashdod, on Radio 103FM.
“It will continue to spread and we’re likely to see further outbreaks as long as we don’t have a vaccine if we don’t do what needs to be done. All the restrictions are in place to reduce the infection rate. But you see the same pattern everywhere – infections increase, there’s a lockdown, the numbers decrease, restrictions are eased and another outbreak occurs.”
Shemer stressed that there really is no fool-proof way to stop the virus. “Restrictions are implemented and the infection rate decreases but then once reopening begins, there’s a risk of the numbers increasing. A certain balance has to be maintained between the economy and the public wellbeing.”
“But we’ve failed to enforce our policies,” Shemer lamented, emphasizing that large gatherings, such as weddings and parties, must be stopped at all costs.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Maybe they shouldn’t have had an exception that left-wing “protestors” can have block parties during the lockdown. They could have been virus free like many other nations.