The struggle in Corona: Tonight (Tuesday), the government unanimously approved the proposal to extend the existing closure by another 10 days, until January 31. In addition, the government also approved aviation regulations that require every passenger entering Israel to have a corona check 72 hours before taking off for Israel. Blue and white members, who had earlier published a list of demands, also voted in favor of the extension.
At the same time, during the meeting, Minister of Intelligence Eli Cohen presented the need for continued use of GSS targets, which currently saved the lives of at least 500 Israelis. The meeting approved the continued use of GSS targets for another 21 days, and Minister Cohen added that with the decline in morbidity The tool will be used selectively only for those who evade human epidemiological investigations.
He said, “If we open the closure, it will cost many lives. What must guide everyone is saving lives and the collapse of the health system – no other consideration. I know this is a difficult decision for many Israeli citizens, but it takes one last effort, a joint effort by all of us to get out of the corona. And save lives. ”
PM Olmert at the Immunization Complex in Jerusalem: “Asks the Public to Respect the Closure” // Photo: From Benjamin Netanyahu’s Facebook page
Netanyahu addressed the issue of enforcement during the cabinet meeting and said: “You are talking about enforcement here, I am talking to state leaders and they say: ‘Nothing helps! No night closure, no differential, no matter all the traffic light colors’ – everyone says nothing helped “And they say that from experience. Enforcement has not helped either. There are always different groups in the population that are less conservative in democracies.”
In his further remarks, the Prime Minister referred to the Commissioner’s remarks and emphasized that “the police here enforce more than anywhere else. In the United States, your eyes see that there are police there and even there it does not help. The Israel Police is making a great effort together with the teams of the Minister of Public Works and the incoming Commissioner. “We must talk about enforcement fairly and in a true international comparison,” any other statement is misleading. ”
The Corona commissioner, Prof. Nachman Ash, also referred to the increase in morbidity, which is estimated to stem mainly from the British mutation. “The British mutation has been found in about 40% of the last infected,” said the Corona commissioner, who also stressed that at this stage he recommends extending the closure for two weeks until February 4. Data presented at the meeting also show that “there is no decrease in the rate of 60-plus people among the seriously ill.” He further added that their share in the population continues to be about 75% of the severe patients so that the effect of the vaccine in these age groups is not yet seen.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein is expected to propose a two-week extension of the closure. However, it is estimated that his request will not be granted and the closure will be extended by a week to ten days. “It is impossible to live with an average of 8,160 verified and 1,130 critically ill,” Edelstein said yesterday during a visit to Beit Shemesh. “We climbed to such a high peak and it will take us time to descend.”
Edelstein: “It is impossible to live with an average of 8,160 verified per day and 1,100 critically ill patients in hospitals”
The researchers note that since the burden on hospitals is expected to remain high for the next two weeks, the high mortality rate will cause Israel to cross the 5,000 death toll in February.