Virus czar says full lockdown will have ‘tremendous’ economic cost

The government’s coronavirus czar reiterates his opposition to the new lockdown restrictions, saying the economic harm will be “tremendous.”

The lockdown is set to begin on Friday at 2 p.m., and will see nearly all businesses closed, flights canceled, prayers and public protests severely curtailed, public transportation scaled back dramatically and Israelis still ordered to remain within 1 kilometer of their home.

“I recommended a [less severe] tightening of the lockdown, but the government decided otherwise and I respect that,” Gamzu says during a tour of Jerusalem’s virus-hit hotspots.

“Obviously when you lock down more tightly you slow the infection rate more significantly, but the economic cost is tremendous. Even so, the government has the authority to make that call. It made the decision after careful consideration, and if they decided on a tighter closure, that’s okay. We’re going to go with that. It will help stop infections.”

He adds: “The morbidity rate is very worrying. We could maybe have closed less, but it’s okay that the government made this decision. It’s a message to the public. If the government reached the point where it’s imposing such a hermetic seal of all commerce and economic activity, that should say something about how widespread the infections have become.”

The government’s decision to tighten lockdown measures follow recommendations by the cabinet’s coronavirus committee on Wednesday night and was approved in a cabinet vote Thursday morning. It is set to win final approval in Knesset legislation later Thursday.