Health Ministry chief reportedly weighs stepping down, to decide in coming days

Health Ministry director Moshe Bar Siman-Tov is considering stepping down from his post and will decide in the coming days, the Ynet news site reports.

The decision will depend on the identity of the next health minister, sources close to Bar Siman-Tov tell Ynet.

The report comes days after the cabinet voted to significantly ease restrictions on movement, including to allow Israelis to once again use outdoor gyms, against the recommendation of Bar Siman-Tov.

The health ministry director has taken a hardline approach in favor of broadly shutting down the country since the beginning of the pandemic and has sparred with Finance Ministry officials who have warned that such drastic measures could destroy the economy and that if the country is not reopened soon enough, it will be difficult to recover from the impending recession. Ministers have also reportedly criticized Bar Siman Tov for having too much influence over the government’s handling  of the pandemic.