The Director General of the Ministry of Health said Dr. Hezi Levy delivered a preparatory meeting Thursday ahead of the third pandemic-locked lock in Israel as things swirled across the country and warned of a slippery slope.
“We know how difficult this is, but if we don’t put the lock down we could reach 9,000 confirmed cases a day by mid-January, and reach 800 seriously ill patients. Now is the time to stop this, stop this slippery slope, ”the tax said.
The Director General of the Ministry of Health said Dr. Cìs Hezi
(Photo: Ido Erez)
Israel is expected to be put under common lock starting Sunday at 5 PM for at least two weeks which could be extended by another two weeks unless daily COVID-19 cases fall under 1,000.
“We are currently in the middle of a surgeon in diseases, with around 4,000 new patients per day and a favorable rate of over 5%,” Levi said.
“The number of reproductions [R number – the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to, on average] also shows an increase in disease, as at 1.26, and in some regions, this number reaches up to 1.7, there is an increase [in infections] among the ultra-orthodox region, but the increase in the number of diseases among the general population occurred during Hanukkah. “
Levi also addressed the situation at the hospitals and fears of overcrowding.
“Currently, our hospitals treat 950 patients. This figure is increasing, the number of seriously ill patients is now at around 500. This is a daily increase of about 70-90 severe patients. We will return beds that have been adapted for other patients to provide proper care for those in crisis. “
Police are standing at a checkpoint outside Be’er Sheva during the COVID-19 lockout
(Photo: Herzl Yosef)
“We have not yet seen the effects of the vaccine, we are still in the middle of a spike in diseases. If we fail to reduce the number of diseases to around 1,000 per day and the number R to less than 1, we will you may want to extend the lock. “
Levi also said that, according to data, the COVID-19 vaccines available in Israel are more likely to be effective against a new strain of coronavirus first discovered in Britain making its way to Israel.
“Mutation is a normal occurrence, we see it all the time in viruses,” said the health czar. This is a major mutation that caused a change in the protein structure of the pathogen. This makes the new virus more contagious by about 60-70%. However, it is no more violent. “
“The most important thing for all of us is whether the vaccine will have any effect on this new strain of the virus. According to all studies so far, carried out by Pfizer, Moderna and others. their vaccines have not yet reached Israel, the vaccines provide protection against the new strain of the virus. “
Crowds at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Yoav Limor)
Just like the previously closed lock that ended in mid-October, the public will be restricted from traveling more than one kilometer (0.6 miles) from home and visiting other cities; trade and entertainment venues will close; restaurants will only be able to run food deliveries; non-public businesses will be limited to operating at 50% capacity; public transport will operate at 50% capacity and social gatherings will be limited to 20 people in open spaces and 10 indoor.
Unlike the previous two locks, the education systems will remain partially open. Levels 1-4 and 11-12, along with nurseries, operate personal classes from 8am to 1pm while the special education system continues to operate normally. Parents can drop off and pick up their children at school between 7am and 2pm.
Separated parents who share a grip will be able to move their children freely.
The COVID-19 ward at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer
(Photo: AFP)
The Ministry of Health on Thursday night reported 5,036 new cases of coronavirus in the previous two days.
On Wednesday, health authorities detected 3,340 cases of COVID-19 out of about 88.00 tests, resulting in 3.8% of tests returning positive, and 1,696 new cases out of some 52,000 tests Thursday , that’s 3.2% of all tests.
There were 920 coronavirus patients in the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms, 526 of whom were in poor condition with 122 patients on ventilated devices.
Since the outbreak began, 3,170 Israelis have died as a result of coronavirus-related complications, including 22 patients on Wednesday and four more on Thursday.