The coronavirus cabinet meeting on Thursday ended without a decision regarding restrictions to stem the tide of the high coronavirus infection rate and will convene again on Monday. The meeting was fraught with conflict as ministers clashed over the details of the plan presented by coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu.
Gamzu spoke about the seriousness of the current coronavirus infection rate in Israel prior to presenting his plan – a recent average of 1,500 daily new coronavirus cases, leading to about 40 seriously ill patients and 10 to 15 fatalities.
Gamzu presented two plans, the first one with two phases: The first phase would begin immediately and continue through September 10, during which the “traffic light” program would be implemented. In “red cities,” schools would be closed, flights to Uman would be restricted and Elul tefillos would be held without large gatherings.
On September 10, the situation would be reevaluated and if the infection rate hasn’t decreased, tighter restrictions would be implemented from Rosh Hashanah through the end of Sukkos, including restricted travel, Yom Tov meals or gatherings restricted to nuclear families, and residents being required to limit activities to within 500 meters of their homes. Tefillos would be permitted only outdoors, schools will be closed, and restaurants, malls and other public spaces will be closed on specific days.
The goal of the restrictions would be to decrease the number of new daily coronavirus cases to 400, a number that Gamzu has touted as the minimum requirement to ensure that Israel’s hospitals will not collapse.
Gamzu also presented a second plan, with far tighter restrictions, which would begin on Rosh Hashanah and be implemented nationwide for two to three weeks.
All restaurants, malls, markets, events and other public gatherings would close as well as schools, apart from pre-school through third grade and special education. Government offices and workplaces would be restricted.
Residents of “red cities” would be restricted to within 500 meters of their homes, schools would be closed and public transportation would be severely restricted.
The plan calls for restrictions to be implemented over the Yamim Tovim rather than immediately to reduce the impact on the economy. According to the Finance Ministry, every day of a lockdown on a routine day will cost Israel’s economy NIS 5 billion to NIS 6 billion and a lockdown day over the Chagim will cost NIS 3 billion to NIS 4 billion per day.
Gamzu also called for a complete cessation of direct flights from Israel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, saying that large numbers of Israelis traveling to Uman poses a real health risk. He also reportedly wrote to the Ukrainian President, requesting that he halt flights from Israel to Uman and wants the Israeli government to order the Airports Authority to halt flights to Uman as well.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
BS”D
I’m so tired of this. And I don’t have time to share all the dozens or hundreds of internet links on the matter. Bottom line: more testing = more positives. So what? If you tested flu every year, around 50% of the population will test positive. I think 2% of all fatalities are from people aged 45 and younger. Mr. Czar, like your Russian namesake, you are in love with decrees. Give it up! Let people go about life normally. Older people and people with medical conditions can stay home or wear masks or wash hands or whatever. Stop making — or keeping — people crazy.
Why do I even bother writing this?