The government convened today (Tuesday) to discuss the morbidity situation in Corona in Israel and is expected to make a decision regarding the extension of the third closure for a week to ten days, in light of the continuing increase in morbidity data. Blue and White announced that it would agree to an extension of the closure – but formulated a list of demands in exchange for its support, including increasing aid to the economy and tightening enforcement in the disease centers. The meeting is expected to begin at 2 p.m.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu He said at the beginning of the meeting: “The extension of the closure must be decided immediately. It can cost a human life. We must continue to make the right decisions for the citizens of Israel. We need to decide immediately on a further extension of the existing closure. It may not be popular, and it is not convenient during the election period, but that is what we have to decide today and I expect everyone to support it. “
Defense Minister Bnei Gantz He also said at the beginning of the debate: “I demand significant enforcement in places that violate the closure. We must increase enforcement and police activity. Prime Minister, I ask to stop the violation of the closure also at the mass wedding we saw yesterday.
Meir Ben Shabbat, The National Security Adviser clarified at the beginning of the hearing: “The effect of the closure on the morbidity is not yet seen. The morbidity is widespread and the mutations are already here. The extent of the morbidity challenges the hospitalization systems.” Corona projector Prof. Nachman Ash said: “The coefficient of infection is declining. I very much hope that the impact of the closure will have an effect in the coming days.”
the minister of Health July Edelstein Addressing the issue of returnees from abroad, he said: “Yesterday I said that there was a legal difficulty for those returning from abroad. Since I have been attacked. I am very sorry, I went to see if things still came up in the last week or at all. In it the Deputy Spokesman, I and the Prime Minister, say in this discourse – the only way to get to the tests of returnees from abroad was to solve through hotels and the opponents will be able to do a test. I’m not used to being in a situation like hiding behind Mandelblit. We have raised the issue more than once. And it has a protocol. “
The Minister of Health criticized the words of the Attorney General and said: “We requested an inspection before boarding the plane as early as December 21.”
A source in blue and white said before the start of the meeting: “We closed the State of Israel but not the states of Mea Shearim and Bnei Brak. Netanyahu surrendered to the ultra-Orthodox and that is the result. Now he has to extend the closure again and I doubt it will help.”
Benjamin Netanyahu at a cabinet meeting on corona vaccines and the British mutation. Photo: Prime Minister’s Office
Blue and white requirements list:
Promotion of enforcement in the centers of morbidity and immediate increase of fines as determined months ago.
Increasing aid to small and medium-sized businesses.
– Immediate vaccination of 16-18 year olds so that we can ensure matriculation.
Determining the obligation to perform a corona test before boarding a plane from the country of origin.
– Subject to all these, and in accordance with the recommendations of the professionals, Blue and White will support the extension of the closure for a week to ten days.
Ahead of the cabinet meeting, the Ministry of Health warned of a situation in which a mutation would reach Israel that would impair the effectiveness of the vaccine against the virus. Among other things, the Ministry of Health emphasizes that so far variants have been discovered that do not impair the effectiveness of the vaccine, but note the connection between the outbreak of the various variants and the high increase in morbidity and infection. For this reason, the Ministry calls on government ministers to restrict flights to Israel.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health updates that there are currently 30 pregnant women in hospital, seven of them in critical condition. The Ministry of Health is examining whether there is an excess of morbidity among pregnant women and whether it is related to the mutation. The office ordered the genetic sequencing of the tests of the women or mothers who are hospitalized in a critical condition. And the possibility of giving priority to pregnant women in receiving the vaccine is being examined.
The agenda of the cabinet meeting (Photo: None)Defense Minister Bnei Gantz from the cabinet meeting
Opposition leader Yair Lapid presented a list of alternative demands in a tweet he posted on his Twitter account ahead of the meeting: “Today at 2:00 PM, the most failed and craziest cabinet meeting in the country’s history will take place. A sane government had to make five decisions: 1. There is no entry from abroad into the country without a valid corona examination.
2. Instead of billions for unnecessary government ministries – an immediate budget increase for public hospitals.
Immediately after the closure, return to the traffic light – open the farm.
4. Increase enforcement and prevent mass incidents.
“Immediate compensation for businesses in the Eitan Cliff model.”
Sources in blue and white replied to Lapid: “How fun it is to tweet from the stands and not take responsibility instead of actually working for the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Clashes between ultra-Orthodox and police forces during enforcement of corona regulations in Jerusalem. Photo: Police Spokeswoman
As you may recall, the Ministry of Health updated this morning that 10,021 new verified corona cases were detected yesterday out of 100,693 tests. The rate of positive results stands at 10.2%. The total number of active patients in Israel is 81,059, including 1,114 patients with a severe condition and 277 respirators. 4,049 patients died from the outbreak.
Corona projector Prof. Nachman Ash commented on the increase in morbidity and said in an interview with the GLC: “I think that at this time and in light of the data, we must accept the recommendation to extend the closure. I understand that one does not like this closure and understands the difficult meanings, but it is impossible to continue at this level of morbidity. If it continues in the coming days – the morbidity will rise. “The previous closures also had one-time records, so you have to look at data over a few days and hope it drops.”
Meanwhile, a report by the Hebrew University on the state of morbidity in Israel showed that there were first signs of a halt in the rise in morbidity, and the effect of the closure. The mortality rate has accelerated very recently as the chances of mortality have risen and the average time to mortality from hospitalization in a serious condition has shortened, but the workload in hospitals is expected to remain high for the next two weeks. According to the report, the significance of the data is that in a reasonable scenario, no significant extension of the current closure is required, but only in the coming days will the effectiveness of the closure become clear in reducing morbidity.