Researchers: No basis to compare infections at protests, synagogues

Researchers at Technion are disputing the comparison drawn between COVID-19’s spread at demonstrations and at Yom Kippur prayers.

In a report presented to ministers by mathematicians Nir Gavish and Gal Alon, the two argue that 100 times as many Israelis would be exposed at outdoor services than at the weekly rallies against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports Channel 12.

“Praying outdoors is as dangerous as the protests, but there are 100 times as many contacts between people,” they write.

“Even if the personal risk is similar, the national ramifications are different,” they write. “There is no mathematical basis to compare prayers to protests. Some of us believe that the [Yom Kippur] Kol Nidrei and Neila prayer are more important than a schoolday or a workday. But instead of making an informed decision on which activities to permit and which not, the government is dividing the public. This is not how a country is managed and this is not how a crisis is managed.”

According to their analysis, as presented by Channel 12, a week of protests generates 360,000 contacts between people, while two prayer services on Yom Kippur would create 37 million encounters. An average school day around the country tallies 43 million contacts, while a workday generates 144 million.