Despite the alarm in the fight, many "Corona Labs" will be shut down on Friday and Saturday, after the Treasury Department did not authorize workers to pay extra • "Scandal - virus not resting"

• "Corona Lab" in Ichilov // Photo: Gideon Markovich

Many laboratories whose job is to diagnose laboratory tests and locate corona virus patients will work partially or not work during the current weekend, after their employees have not received extra pay over the weekend. Some of the samples taken today and tomorrow will wait until decoding by Sunday morning.

In Haifa District, Nesher Laboratory - the main laboratory in the district, which tests 330 tests a day, did not receive permission to work from the Ministry of Health on Saturday, and therefore did not work today (Friday) and is not scheduled to work tomorrow. Atim Laboratory at Ramat Haim worked from 08:00 to 17:00 and the laboratory at Soroka Hospital, worked from 08:00 to 16:00 - and so they will work tomorrow. In contrast, the laboratory at the Sheba Medical Center in Hangshumer began work today from 07:00 and is expected to close at 23:00, as will tomorrow. The additional hospital labs around the country will work in a regular Shabbat format - despite the load added due to the outbreak of the virus.

"There is no justification to dramatically reduce the scope of corona testing on Friday and Saturday," said Esther Edmon, chairman of the Biochemists, Microbiologists and Laboratory Laboratories in Israel. Why the Ministry of Health only allows partial work today on Friday, and why tomorrow on Saturday more than half of the medical laboratories operating in hospitals will not work.

"The virus does not take a break on Saturday-Saturday, and this is a scandal. There is no synchronization in the field. This is due to the disconnect between us, the medical lab's employees, and our departmental staff in the Ministry of Health. For several days they have not been in contact with us."

The Ministry of Health said: "There is no reduction in lab activity and they will continue to operate in an emergency format 24/7. This is also the opportunity to acknowledge and cherish the dedicated employees and employees who work for Israel's citizens and their health unreservedly."