Against the background of the spike in morbidity alongside the vaccination campaign, the government is expected to decide on a third and final closure • Netanyahu warned: "If nothing is done - mortality will rise sharply" • Trade will be closed, the education system will be partially closed and public transportation will be reduced Washing
Going to a third closure: The government will vote tonight (Wednesday) on the proposal to impose a general closure from Sunday at 5 p.m.
According to the outline, this is a full closure for two weeks, with an option to extend for another two weeks.
As part of the closure, a restriction of movement of 1,000 meters from the house will apply and it will not be allowed to stay in another person's house.
Trade will be completely closed, the education system will be partially operational and public transportation will be reduced.
Prime Minister Netanyahu at the end of the Corona Cabinet meeting, on Sunday // Photo: GPO
The Ministry of Health warns that even a partial opening of the education or trade system - means a practical abolition of traffic restrictions - that will lower the effectiveness of the closure.
Data presented in a presentation presented by the Ministry of Health at the cabinet meeting show that 27% of the morbidity is currently in the Arab sector, 18% in the ultra-Orthodox sector and 53% in the general sector.
53 cities in the country are considered red, 89 orange, 135 yellow and about 1,000 cities, towns and districts are green.
According to the Ministry of Health's forecast, within two weeks the number of verified people may double to 6,000 a day or more, and in about 3 weeks it can reach 9,000 a day.
Purpose of the closure: to reduce the number of verified persons to at least one thousand per day, at the same time as lowering the R to less than 1.
The number of serious patients in December (to date) stands at 1,360, compared with 2,495 at the peak of the second wave in October and 929 in November.
However, the Ministry of Health warns that the congestion in the health funds due to the increase in morbidity is taking place against the background of the "give a shoulder" vaccination campaign, which requires logistical preparation and manpower.
"We have reached about 5% verified"
At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: "The question is if there are so many vaccines, why should restrictive measures be taken?
After all, it is difficult, we understand that the restrictions are severe for the citizens of Israel.
The answer is that speed here is critical, the disease doubles every few days and the rate of vaccines, however fast, does not double itself.
It can not keep up with the insane rate of disease outbreak.
If we do not stop it now, we will see a greater increase in morbidity. "
"We missed the tight restraint train - there is no locksmith," said Health Minister Yuli Edelstein during a visit to the Mediterranean Towers in Ganei Tikva, where he met with the first vaccinated as part of the "Magen Avot VeIhmot" project, where MDA stores in seniors' homes and homes. "The Ministry of Health is working hard to further accelerate vaccinations," Edelstein added. "The goal is to reach more than 60,000 vaccinators a day.
We have reached more than 5% in the verified rate, and the infection coefficient today stands at 1.3.
It can be declared in a completely non-festive way - we are in the third wave of the Corona. "
The average number of people infected last week was 2,863.
This will cross the red line of 2,500 infected people a day, which, according to the cabinet's decision, will require more than tight restraint.
A senior Ministry of Health official noted that at a level of about 5,000 infected per day, the exit time from a locksmith could take about five weeks.
The senior official also said that as a lesson from the exit from the second quarantine, a threshold of 1,000 infected per day will be set this time instead of 2,000, as was the case in October.
The Armed Forces warns that without further drastic containment measures, and based on the current rate of spread, the 10,000-infected threshold will be crossed by mid-January.
About 3,700 new verified
According to the morbidity data published last night by the Ministry of Health, an additional 3,730 verified patients were diagnosed on Monday in 93,772 tests.
The rate of positive tests was 4.1%.
Yesterday, by 6:15 p.m., 1,302 infections were reported, which is 3.4% out of 37,998 tests.
It should be noted that this is a peak in laboratory tests, and Israel is approaching the maximum capacity of the laboratories - 100,000 tests per day.
There was also a large increase in the number of active patients, and in less than two weeks it almost tripled.
According to the data, there are 27,551 active patients in Israel.
The hospitals hospitalize 861 patients, including 499 in critical condition, 116 respirators, and 161 whose condition is defined as moderate.
In addition, it was reported that there are 2,712 verified and isolated health staff members.
The death toll stands at 3,128 people.
The hotel panic
Meanwhile, against the background of Edelstein's statement about a possible walk to the closure, many Israelis tried to find flights at the last minute to get to Israel before the entry into force of the isolation obligation in hotels.
On Sunday this week, Ural took off abroad, during which it was updated on the Corona Cabinet's decision to oblige returnees to isolation in hotels. "We tried to get flights and were unsuccessful," he said. "They called us surprisingly while we were on a desert trip and could not get to the airport immediately.
"After a lot of pressure and drama, we were informed that we would board a flight with which we would arrive in Israel two hours before the obligation to insulate in a motel begins, so that we would at least pass the insulation at home."
Inbar Adin, a tourism blogger, went to Dubai to review the hotels and attractions there for the Israeli audience.
"I have been here for three weeks and when I heard that Israel was entering a closure, I decided to stay," she said.
"In Dubai, they manage to live with the corona - they are very strict about the strict guidelines and still open the trade."
Or Elkayam and Daria Yoprov also flew to Dubai knowing it was a green destination.
After some deliberation, the two decided not to advance the return flight.
"We stay here by choice. Everything here is very safe, everywhere hands are disinfected, masks are put on, and those without a mask are fined," Elkayam said.
Photographer Yossi Rosenbaum was invited about a month ago to document a wedding that was to take place this week in Dubai.
"The tickets were ordered, the visa was issued, the excitement and adrenaline were sky high - and then it was decided that everyone returning from abroad went into isolation," he said. "The energies dropped to the floor, and I canceled the tickets.
It should be understood that the airlines are also in a difficult situation after half a year of a complete shutdown. "
Participated in the preparation of the article: Shimon Yaish and Assaf Golan
