Stress, sweat and panic: The government's frenetic corona policy is reminiscent of its predecessor

Even in the Bennett era, the conduct of the government continues to be inconsistent, and instead of challenging it, the media aligns with it and exploits the anxiety of the citizens in the hope of gaining more ratings.

At that time - in Florida already understood: the corona is here to stay, but it must not paralyze our lives

Alon Ben David

18/12/2021

Saturday, 18 December 2021, 23:21

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on Twitter

• Share on Email

• Share on general

• Comments

  Comments

On Monday, Defense Minister Bnei Gantz returned from the United States and, as usual, went into three days of isolation, some of which he spent in the isolation stand in the Knesset.

On Wednesday morning, when he was already due to leave isolation after another negative test, he was informed that one of his staff members was positive on the third test, and was asked to extend the duration of his isolation until it became clear whether the verifier was carrying the new strain.

Only the defense minister and his staff were required to extend the duration of the isolation.

Not the other passengers on the flight, not even the one sitting next to the verified one.

Why?

So.

Even after most of the State of Israel has been vaccinated, the conduct of the corona issue continues to be frantic and inconsistent - a combination of complacency with a lust for over-enforcement.

Why at the beginning of the week was it necessary to mark the unvaccinated who would enter the mall and at the end it no longer mattered?

So.

And that's not how you beat an epidemic.

Good to know (promoted)

The swimming method that will change your life (and make you fit)

Submitted on behalf of TI SWIM

His decision-making conveys pressure.

Bennett (Photo: Paul, Emil Salman)

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who a year ago wrote an orderly and systematic guide explaining how to deal with the corona, has seemed since he took office as someone who needs an embarrassed teacher. His decision-making about the corona conveys pressure, not to mention panic, and like its predecessor - exudes a strong smell of sweat. Landing in the country after a stay of more than a week in Florida looks like landing on another planet.

In Florida - the third largest state in the United States, more than twice the population of Israel - the rate of vaccinators is similar to ours. But they are conducted in a relaxed manner: there is no obligation to wear masks indoors, not even in schools, there is no green mark, and there is certainly no intention to mark the non-vaccinated or impose a ban on them, as we will consider here. Life goes on, and every citizen has the right to decide for himself how to proceed.

And look at this miracle: the state of morbidity and mortality in Florida is no worse than that in neighboring states that have adopted draconian enforcement of Corona regulations.

Although it is the second oldest state in the United States, Florida ranks ninth in terms of per capita mortality among the other states, and 15th in terms of the number of verified.

Given the age of its population - Florida is in a good spot in the middle.

But its economy is somewhere else: Florida, more than the rest of the United States, is very close to recovering the economy it had in March 2020. And more than that: its real estate prices are soaring - the entire United States wants to move to a free state free of regulations and restrictions.

Conduct calmly.

Adult couple with masks in Florida, last year (Photo: Reuters)

Florida Gov. Ron de Santis decided with the outbreak of the plague to turn it into an ax to carve his way into the White House, and it paid off. Not only is the entire United States queuing up to move to its own state, since it began giving grants to employers, applications have been filed to open 150,000 start-ups in Florida. After canceling the payment of the leave - 1.5 million workers returned to the job market. "No one will lose his job, and no one will take the parent's authority to decide on children", declared when the United States began to talk about the duty of vaccines, and it works.

While we Dealing with the corona has united frightened politicians with a media that wanted to sow anxiety among its Scouts - in the United States it has become a clear partisan matter. the building.

At first glance, this sounds ridiculous - it is a first-rate health issue that affects all of humanity, regardless of party affiliation, religion or race.

But on second thought, it is enviable to see how in the United States there is also opposition on this issue - let’s face it - both serious-minded reporters and doctors do not really fully understand how this virus behaves.

A combination of complacency with a lust for over-enforcement.

Cabinet meeting, beginning of the month (Photo: Paul, Emil Salman)

The result of media coverage that resonates unchallenged on the Ministry of Health message page is a loss of trust. Recently I have often encountered the anger of citizens who slap me that the media has deceived them: exploited their anxiety with the outbreak of the plague and the fact that they were a captive audience sitting in the house, to spread panic in hopes of earning more ratings. Unfortunately, I have to agree with them.

The media conduct in the days of the Corona is a disgrace that will still be learned. The total devotion to the government line, with no attempt to challenge it, is the complete opposite of the role of the press. Those who did dare to challenge the line led by the Ministry of Health were all labeled as clowns and removed from the screens. If the military reporters were covering a war like this, and only informing their viewers every day that they were all going to die - they would be denounced, and rightly so.

Even today, the media continues to count and report every day with devotion to the number of verified.

The number of verified is a function of the number of subjects.

This is a figure that was relevant before the vaccines appeared.

In a vaccinated nation there are only two data that need to be looked at: the number of hospitalized, and within them the number of vaccinated who are in a critical condition.

No other data is relevant.

The media continues to report on the war that has already taken place.

The United States has Republicans who will oppose the administration's position, and here the opposition is not really interested in the welfare of the country's residents except when it comes to the welfare and security of the former prime minister's children.

The governor of Florida de Santis may have paved his way for the presidency in his next election, and we only have Education Minister Yifat Shasha Bitton, who is showing similar courage.

The corona is here and it will stay with us - but in the meantime it is our lives that are passing.

• news

• Opinions and interpretations

Tags

• Corona virus

• Bnei Gantz

• Naftali Bennett