ISRAEL ADJUSTS TO NEW COVID-19 RESPONSE

By Boaz Fox ‘23

    At the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, Israel was among the most successful countries when it came to controlling the spread of the virus, but eventually, Israel hit rock bottom, having the highest rate of infections per capita.

    After having its first confirmed cases of the deadly virus in late February, Israel acted quickly. On Mar. 19, a national state of emergency was declared and Israel began to enforce one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. Non-essential workers were not allowed to go more than 330 feet from their homes unless they were receiving essential services. This rule was heavily enforced, with punishments ranging from up to a 5,000 shekel fine to a six-month stint in prison.
    This first lockdown worked. Israel became one of the top ten nations with the least amount of new daily cases. However, Israel couldn’t stay locked down forever.
    The fact that Israel was nearing zero new daily confirmed cases and that record numbers of Israelis were unemployed prompted Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to loosen the restrictions. Israelis were no longer bound by the 330 feet perimeter outside their homes, and pools, restaurants and schools were reopened. Netanyahu himself told Israelis to go out and “have fun.”
    Soon, hundreds of cases of COVID-19 were being reported every day. On Sept. 30, a peak of 9078 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 was reported. Dozens of people died every day.
    Referring to the prime minister, 15-year-old Tal Mitnick from Tel Aviv said, “Bibi jumped the gun… it’s really unfair.”
    Despite knowing the risks, many in the ultra-Orthodox community refused to have virtual weddings and B’nei Mitzvot, instead opting to have large gatherings with minimal social distancing and very few masks. One ultra-Orthodox group was so insistent on having an in-person wedding that they had their wedding in an Arab village to avoid detection from Israeli police.
    Because of actions like these, “morbidity is starting to rise,” Netanyahu said.
    To combat this second wave, Netanyahu enacted a second lockdown. The new lockdown allowed Israelis to go within 1640 feet of their residences, unlike the previous lockdown which only allowed for 330 feet. Schools and non-essential businesses were closed down and gatherings were limited to 10 people. 
    The second lockdown worked. On Nov. 15, Israel reported only two new confirmed cases. Having learned their lesson, the Israeli government is now opening a lot more slowly. 
    Regarding businesses and schools, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry, said that Israel should open up but “we simply need to do so carefully.”