Health official: Coming week decisive to whether restriction rollback can expand

Health Ministry deputy director Itamar Grotto says the coming week will prove “decisive” as to whether the government will be able to continue rolling back restrictions or will be forced to order their return if COVID-19 spike again.

He tells Army Radio that Israeli should feel “pleased with the results” of the government’s handling of the pandemic thus far, but warns that a return of cases in the summer is a real possibility.

“We are preparing for a number of scenarios in which we remain in the same situation [of some degree of restrictions] until winter and also consider the possibility of another wave in the summer,” Grotto says.