Senior health officials and hospital directors called on Sunday for Israel’s lockdown to be tightened.
Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Chezi Levy told Ynet: “The infection rate is running amok and doubling itself and the number of seriously ill patients in hospitals have doubled in less than 10 days.”
Levy added that the current lockdown is not adequate and a tighter lockdown is required to bring the infection rate down.
A statement from the office of Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Sunday said that “in light of the alarming rise in infections, the number of patients in serious condition and the discovery of the virus variant, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein intends to present a plan to the government for a full closure for a short period of two weeks.”
Israeli hospital directors also warned on Sunday of a sharp rise in hospitalized virus patients in an urgent letter sent to the Health Ministry.
“In the past week we’ve witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of hospitalized [virus patients], including seriously ill patients, ventilated patients, and patients requiring ECMO assistance,” the letter stated.
“The rate of increase in the number of these patients is much faster than it was during the second wave. The rate continued to rise this morning and we now must open additional coronavirus wards.”
“Immediate steps are required to curb the infection rate in order that we can continue to properly treat patients, both coronavirus patients and regular patients.”
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be holding meetings this week on tightening the lockdown regulations, his office stated on Motzei Shabbos.
A “tight and short lockdown that will allow the quick reopening of the economy” will be considered, the statement said.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be holding meetings this week Far too distracted holding meetings ion his re-election campaign, and maybe also meetings with his attorney in dealing with the bogus charges leveled against him by this viscous mandelblit troublemaker