Israel Heading Towards 3rd COVID-19 Lockdown

Jerusalem, 7 December, 2020 (TPS) -- Israel is apparently heading toward its third Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, even before it has completely exited from the second lockdown and as the Netanyahu government fails to contend with the mounting wave of infections.

The Corona Cabinet met on Sunday evening for several hours but did not decide on any operative decisions. It will convene again on Monday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after the meeting that the COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, and “we must lower the morbidity that is at the beginning of a third wave.”

While claiming that Israel has “reduced morbidity and mortality at almost the lowest level among European countries,” he said that was achieved because “we did it because we did not hesitate to make the right decisions in time. Even now I will not hesitate to return some of the restrictions, and the sooner we return them, the shorter the time limit will be.”

The Ministry of Health is calling for the immediate imposition of new restrictions, even though Israel has not completely eased the restrictions imposed in September.

The government knows that between 40-50% of the infections come from the Arab sector which does not abide by the regulations, holds mass events and takes vacations in countries with high morbidity, and especially in Turkey, but ignores the mandatory quarantine required when returning from these countries.

The government has not taken any targeted actions against these breaches of law, the police have failed to enforce the law, and it appears that the government is choosing the easy path of imposing a nation-wide lockdown rather than contending with these issues.

The Ministry of Health updated Monday that it recorded 1,230 new cases in the past 24 hours.

Some 37,000 Corona tests were performed in the last day, with 3.3% of them returning positive.

According to the data, 331 patients are hospitalized in serious condition, of whom 112 are on life support.

The health system is far from being overburdened, but experts warn that the current trajectory of the infection rate will tax it in the coming weeks.

2,917 corona patients have died in Israel since the outbreak in February.