Top health official says renewed national lockdown still possible ‘if no choice’

The top official at the Health Ministry said Friday the potential reimposition of a nationwide lockdown was still on the table, after ministers agreed to tighten restrictions in area with high COVID-19 infection rates.

“I don’t rule out the possibility that a full lockdown will be decided on, but again, a full lockdown is something that all of us want to avoid,” Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy told Kan public radio. “If there’s no choice, we’ll be there.”

He cautioned, however, that while a total lockdown may be the quickest way to curb the coronavirus’s spread, there is “no magic wand” that can swiftly bring the infection rate down.

“Therefore we’re trying to find a way in which we’ll do restrictions in a differential manner in cities that have the most extensive morbidity,” he said, pledging assistance to residents of these areas.

Levy’s comments came as the Health Ministry reported 2,766 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Thursday, a day after Israel recorded over 3,000 cases in a new single day record.

According to the latest Health Ministry figures, there have been 125,755 infections since the pandemic began, with 25,277 active cases as of Friday morning.

With six fatalities overnight, the death toll rose to 991.

Of those currently infected, 416 people were in serious condition, with 123 Israelis on ventilators. Another 131 people were in moderate condition and the rest had mild or no symptoms.

The Health Ministry said 34,586 tests for coronavirus were administered Thursday.

In the interview, Levy was also asked about the ongoing mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his indictment on corruption charges and handling of the pandemic.

Some of Netanyahu’s political allies have said the demonstrations are a serious health risk and called for them to be restricted, but no data has signalled they are a major source of infection and US researchers have indicated protests outdoors may be relatively safe.

“There is no data in the [epidemiological] investigations that someone was infected in the gathering itself because you are questioning people who have done a lot of activities, but the protests are a gathering that spurs infection,” Levy said.

Levy’s boss, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, signaled support Thursday for restricting the protests.

“The coronavirus doesn’t have political views. When a religious person is restricted at prayer or at synagogues, which is a fundamental right, it wouldn’t hurt to restrict political gatherings,” he told Channel 12 news.

Just because there is no law limiting protests, Edelstein said there’s no “obligation” for thousands of people to gather for demonstrations.

Edelstein also said he fully backs coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu, who has faced criticism from some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party and ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, including calls for his resignation.

On Friday, Gamzu clarified that the sweeping new restrictions approved Thursday by the so-called coronavirus cabinet in “red” localities with high infection rates would not include full lockdown measures in all these areas.

“The proposal yesterday in the cabinet was for the imposition of a lockdown in eight cities with particularly high morbidity and the imposition of restrictions on movement in the rest of the red cities,” he said in a statement quoted by Channel l2 news.

However, he stressed the lockdown measures could be expanded to other areas and said a final decision would be made over the weekend and approved by ministers on Sunday. The new restrictions are set to take effect on Monday.

The measures under discussion for “red” cities include banning entry and exit, keeping residents within 500 meters of their homes, stopping public transportation, and closing non-essential businesses and all schools save for day care facilities and special education programs.

Though there is no official word yet on which cities will be locked down, the 30 cities and towns currently designated as “red” are: Nazareth, Bnei Brak, Tiberias, Abu Snan, Umm al-Fahm, Elad, Aabalin, Buqata, Beit Jann, Jaljulya, Jatt, Daliyat al-Karmel, Zemer, Taibe, Tira, Kasra-Samia, Ka’abiyye-Tabbash-Hajajre, Kafr Bara, Kafr Kanna, Kafr Qassem, Lakiya, Sheikh Danun, Maale Iron, Ein Mahil, Assafiya, Arara, Fureidis, Qalansawe, Rechasim, and Kfar Aza.

Many of the towns are predominantly ultra-Orthodox and Arab, two segments of the population that have been hit hard by the virus.

While a nationwide lockdown during the High Holiday period beginning September 18 was supposed to be discussed during Thursday’s meeting of the coronavirus cabinet, according to reports, a decision is only expected to be made in a week or so.

Also during Thursday’s coronavirus cabinet meeting, ministers were presented with research predicting hospitals could be overwhelmed within two weeks as the number of virus cases creeps upward.

According to figures aired Thursday by Israeli television, Israel has the highest rate of new infections per capita in the world.