Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ministers on Tuesday that he now supports a call from the Ministry of Health for the tighter lockout to begin from Thursday and not later than Friday as he suggested from origin.
“We are in the midst of a global disease that is spreading at a faster pace as a result of British transformation. It has reached Israel and is involved in much of life,” he told a cabinet meeting to discuss the tighter constraints.
Police implement a lockout in the city of Nazareth earlier this year
(Photo: aslan abgana)
“We need to impose a full closure immediately. I have no doubt the government will approve it and the Knesset must pass it immediately,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Israel would enter a full-blown lockout from Friday – involving the entire education system – after health officials call for urgent action on the level of coronavirus infection that has spread to COVID-19 wards across the imminent nation.
The country has already been in its third lockout for more than a week, with restrictions on movement, entertainment venues, shops and gatherings but schools still allow some students to attend class in person.
A police officer will enforce the lock-up in Tel Aviv earlier this year
(Photo: Israeli Police)
But the number of cases has skyrocketed, with 8,308 people testing positive for the virus on Tuesday – the highest number of daily diagnoses since September 30 and a disease rate of 7.7%.
The new restrictions were introduced for government approval almost immediately.
“Britain’s mutation is out of control,” Netanyahu said when the cabinet met on Tuesday afternoon.
“Hospitals are already warning that we are entering a dangerous stage. The Ministry of Health says if we do not take immediate action, we will lose hundreds of Israelis.”
“I call on all Israeli citizens to make one last effort – a common closure in conjunction with the vaccination campaign as we come back to life. ”
Israeli police officers patrol Tel Aviv beach during the lockout
(Photo: AFP)
While both leaders are in a gray phase on the need for tighter restrictions, Netanyahu wants the closures to last until the infection rate has dropped dramatically and Gantz supports measures for just 10 days.
The Ministry of Health had been pushing for the measures to be implemented from Thursday and called for all shops – including supermarkets – to be closed daily from 7pm.
An czar coronavirus Israel an t-Oll. Nachman Ash said earlier on Tuesday that he supported the complete closure of the education system and warned that any delay in implementing tougher locks would be life-threatening.
“We’re seeing the numbers go up every day, including bad cases,” Ash said. “We have passed the threshold of 800 serious patients, which is a red line.”
He said whatever the government’s decision, parents should not send their children to schools if they live in areas with a high incidence of disease.
“A child who brings the disease home affects others. We’ve seen a number of cases like that in the last few days,” he said.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and the ministry’s head of public health, Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price, an unannounced press release earlier in the day held to put off the alarm over the high rate of infections.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein
(Photo: Nadav Abbas )
“We need to reach a full lock, except for essential work, with a closed education system and zero collections,” Edelstein said. “Doing nothing today will result in hundreds more deaths and thousands worse. “
He said it would undermine Israel’s accelerated vaccination campaign without stopping a total lockout, as those who had been vaccinated at first glance could still be infected before they could get the vaccine. second injection to develop higher immunity.
“Some of the [new] there are older virus patients, who have already received the first glimpse of the vaccine, “he said.” They were a meter away from being saved. Today there is an outbreak in nursing homes, where the vaccines were also made. The ball is in the hands of the government, “he said.
“When was the last time the public themselves asked us to close everything? Local authority leaders and people on the street are telling us, ‘stop, stop.’
A line of people in front of a vaccination center in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Tel Aviv Municipality )
Edelstein also gave a taster of young people who come to vaccination centers to get the bullet without a prescription. “There were criminals who tried to sneak in at the expense of the elderly and sick. The incident is unfortunate. There are not too many vaccines when there are only 2,000 [in each vaccination center]. “
Elrai-Price said most of this country currently lives in “red” or “orange” towns and communities.
“Even if we stop the spread, we know that the numbers will continue to go up. We are breaking the record for the number of adverse patients expected. patients are rising and creating a huge burden on hospitals. ”