A senior official in the Ministry of Health estimates that Israel will reach the limit of its ability to perform PCR tests on Corona this week.
He said the testing policy would need to be changed so that even in some cases (e.g. people without symptoms, or those who are not elderly or chronically ill) would have to give up corona testing.
A decision on the matter is expected as early as next week.
The senior official also says that in the coming wave the hospital flow will be defined in a combined index of corona and flu patients.
Minister Horowitz: "We will consider abolishing isolation for vaccinated people returning from non-red countries" // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
The health system's testing capacity is 200-170 thousand a day, and last Thursday the number of tests was 160 thousand.
According to the senior, the cancellation of some of the tests is being considered - as was done for vaccinated people who were in contact with a positive person, and who are satisfied with an antigen test.
"Queues and delays are expected"
"The testing capabilities in Israel stand at 200-170 thousand. We are close to that, and that means queues and delays in providing the answers. Part of the solution is beyond rapid testing, but it is also limited," the senior added.
"We will have to consider whether to change the testing policy, and in some cases waive testing, for example for the vaccinated, on the third day of returning from abroad, and perhaps in some situations waive contact testing according to priorities.
For example, PCR tests may be intended only for people with symptoms, or for sensitive populations.
We will discuss this at the beginning of the week. "
The senior official further explains that at this stage of the outbreak, in light of the expectation of high infection rates, it is meaningless to impose restrictions on gatherings or other restrictions, and at this stage of the situation there is no public awareness, and there is concern that restrictions will not be met.
Corona examination in Tel Aviv, Photo: Yehoshua Yosef
"The question is how much it will help to impose restrictions. In all surgeries there is an estimate that restrictions that are not tightly closed will not make a dramatic change. Only very large restrictions, this time we can not achieve, can help. We also see the pictures from New Year's parties, and see people do not understand "The severity of the situation. At the moment it is not practical. To impose interim restrictions at the moment that will not be very useful and will not be met - there is more damage to it," he warned.
He further explains that "it is estimated that the effective adhesion coefficient of the omicron strain ranges from 2 to 3. Now lowering the adhesion coefficient from 1.3 to 1.1, or later from 2.5 to 2.3, which is what the restrictions can do, is not very significant in my opinion. "And will not prevent us from reaching the peaks of morbidity."
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