Bennett: ‘We can beat the Delta variant without lockdowns’

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says that Israel can overcome the current outbreak of the coronavirus Delta variant without introducing more lockdowns.

“The Delta variant is covering the globe,” he says at a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

“We can beat the Delta variant without lockdowns if we are all diligent and determined,” he asserts, asking the public to ensure they wear masks indoors, get vaccinated and keep their distance from others in public.

Bennett warns, however, that if these rules are not heeded, further lockdowns could be introduced.

A rise in cases due to the Delta variant “in a few weeks will translate to many more sick people and many more deaths,” he says.

“The easiest thing, like they repeatedly did over the past year and a half, is to shut everything down. We may indeed end up there but we are going to try a different path this time. And it depends on all of us,” Bennett says.

He describes the actions of the previous government as “serious neglect.”

“Our aim is to protect the public while preventing disruptions of regular life as much as possible. More transparency and fewer lockdowns.”