Most appear to be in favor of a decision to keep schools open until the end of the week • Restrictions on red cities will also be extended • Senior hospital administrators presented a troubling scenario: "If no significant steps are taken, the health system will collapse within three weeks" • Regular updates
It appears that the government will approve leaving the education system open until Friday, outlining "the red cities - all numbers are sources in the political system. The cabinet meeting on the steps to be taken this week is being held at these hours.
"The health system will collapse in three weeks if no significant steps are taken to stop the disease," is the scenario that hospital administrators summoned to a cabinet meeting today (Sunday) are expected to present.
The report also showed that in 97% of the localities with more than 20,000 people, there is an increased infection and the infection rate is higher than R 1. This means that every person diagnosed with corona infects more than one person. "The entire State of Israel is in a state of disease with exponential infection." Written.
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At the opening of the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "The day before, before the conversation on Friday, Prof. Gamzo approached us, and together with the experts and the heads of the health system, actually waved a red flag.
A red flag regarding the ability of the health system to address the challenges that come our way, and the need to take the necessary steps as a result. "
"This is actually the purpose of this meeting that followed the cabinet meeting," Netanyahu continued. "The cabinet meeting raised resolutions, the goal is of course to discuss them during this meeting. I was very sorry for Minister Litzman's decision to resign from the government. I very much appreciate Litzman and I also respect "His decision. We must move forward, make the necessary decisions for the State of Israel during the Corona period and that is what we will do in this yeshiva."
Edelstein: "Closure - a matter of life and death"
Health Minister Edelstein also said things at the beginning of the meeting.
"When I took office, I led the Prime Minister to open the economy while labeling a 'purple mark' in dialogue with the various branches of the economy. But at the same time I demanded aggressive, effective and unforgivable enforcement. Unfortunately, this did not happen. Now there is no escape from closure. "I will not be happy when it is approved. This is a very difficult day for the country. But it is an offer with no choice."
He added: "Therefore I ask that it be clear - apart from such and other cosmetic changes, I will not allow negotiations on the plan. I say clearly at the beginning of the discussion - if the plan is not accepted I will not withdraw it and bring alternative plans. The corona is neither a political nor a matter of populism "It is a matter of life and death. I suggest to anyone who claims that it is possible otherwise, to take tours of the hospitals, the corona wards, and see the situation."
Eldstein added that he had asked the cabinet secretary to consult with him before the health ministry's proposal was put to a government vote: "If they turn the plan into Swiss cheese, I will withdraw the proposal. It will mean that from next Tuesday there will be no restriction on the public. "In the doctrine of 'herd infection', and the price will be several thousand dead. I will not give in to the pressure just to be liked by such and such people."
Finance Minister Israel Katz protested during the meeting that it was strange that his people were not being reviewed.
The Minister of Energy, Dr. Yuval Steinitz, actually criticized the health system: "You should have hoisted this red flag two months ago.
It was clear that we would get here when the morbidity data reached 500 patients a day.
If we do not succeed in lowering the morbidity data, we are talking about one and a half million patients, at least 12,000 dead and about six million Israelis who will enter isolation.
We must now impose a closure and prevent a shuffle of many more months that will also hurt the economy. "In this context, the minister noted that it is better to suffer two weeks of damage with a breathable closure than to continue like this for a year. At the same time, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri also supported the closure.
Minister Ophir Akunis attacked the Ministry of Health's proposal: "A full general closure is a disaster for the Israeli economy. It is not a tight restraint, it is a tight crush! A balance must be found between the needs of the economy and health needs, so immediately after the holiday, the economy must be allowed to return." "Restaurants, hotels and B & Bs and of course abolish the illogical 500-meter limit. If the Ministry of Health's proposal does not change, I will not support the proposal for a full closure."
Officials warn: "Health system will collapse in three weeks"
Against this background, the directors of the hospitals, Dr. Miki Halbertl from Maimonides, Prof. Ofer Marin from Shaare Zedek, Dr. Eitan Wertheim from Beilinson and Prof. Arnon Afek, Sheba's Deputy CEO, will present a complex picture according to which the hospitals in the north and in Jerusalem are busy is very.
This is compared to the center, where there are still available hospital beds.
It was further emphasized that the bigger problem is the lack of medical staff due to infection and going into isolation.
This is at a time when the increase in manpower received by the hospitals does not cover it either.
As part of the scenario, managers are expected to argue that opening new corona wards means closing more wards and harming medical care.
According to executives, the system can handle a number of between one thousand and two thousand infected a day, but in recent days the balance has gone out of balance.
On the other hand, in the review itself at the cabinet meeting, Professor Idit Matot noted that there is no need for a closure and this step will not lead to any solution.
Meanwhile, the decision-making proposal that went up for a vote in the government has undergone slight changes from yesterday to today.
The main changes are the abolition of the 500-meter traffic restriction in the second phase of the closure (the phase in which the relief will begin), the determination of "certain restrictions" in the public space and the decision that the gatherings will be in accordance with the restrictions of the red zone.
It also appears that the ministers will vote in favor of the outline, while the studies will continue until Thursday.
In addition, it is likely that the education system will continue to be closed except for distance learning, even in the second phase of the closure.
In other words, it is a period of at least a whole month, during which the studies will not take place in the schools.
While Tourism Minister Assaf Zamir this morning expressed opposition to the closure, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz told the prime minister last night in a phone call they held that he fully backs his demand for the closure.
Meanwhile, Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman has resigned from the government following the intention to impose a holiday closure.
