Lod Mayor Yair Revivo on Monday threatened to bar residents from using city services if they do not receive the vaccine against COVID-19, including refusing to allow their children to go into schools.
“I want to make an important announcement,” he said in a live feed on his Facebook page. “Lod Municipality will have a list of sanctions. exclusion from children from the education system… [residents] we will not be able to come to the town market when it opens, and other things that we will announce later. Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has not received COVID will not be able to access services. “
Revivo called for residents to come and get the vaccine while COVID-19 was spreading throughout the city center.
“We have a thousand patients in Lod, and another 100 new patients coming in every day that we can’t keep going like this,” he said. “It’s time to take responsibility, stop all the conspiracies that say [the vaccine] dangerous. It is more dangerous to die than COVID.
“Last week, we say goodbye to another former federal who died from COVID. This month, 20 Lod residents died and another 2,000 contracted the disease. We will support the vaccination campaign. “
Revivo visited one of the federal vaccination centers and spoke extensively to Arab residents and asked them to help raise the low turnout among the Union’s Arab population. The mayor also called on one of those present to persuade people to get the vaccine in Arabic.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Lod Mayor Yair Revivo
(Photo: Courtesy of Lod)
“The time has come, to share this message, everyone should take it upon themselves to vaccinate people,” he said.
According to Ministry of Health data, 25.9% of the Lod population, which is approximately 19,000 residents, received the first dose of the vaccine, and 14.6% of residents received a second bullet increase.
Revivo himself contracted COVID-19 in September last year after praying at a synagogue on Yom Kippur despite health rules banning gatherings in prayer houses.
Lod Municipality issued a response to Revivo’s comments
COVID-19 vaccination center in Lod
(Photo: TPS)
“Any move, education or prevention, that could eradicate coronavirus is welcomed in the country, in general, and in Lod, in particular,” the statement read. “Mayor Yair Revivo wanted to stress highlighted the importance of vaccines at this time when the virus continues to plague us with a high rate of disease in the city of Lod, an average of 100 confirmed cases and 2 deaths per day, but with only 25% [of residents] vaccinated, when Modi’in neighbor exceeded 50%.
“The mayor’s comments were made to raise awareness, encourage vaccination and help federal residents get back into their daily lives, so the city will create a series of restrictions that breaking the law, for those who do not have a vaccination certificate. “