Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said on Wednesday morning that Israel’s exit from the lockdown should be gradual, and the lockdown should be extended to next week.
In an interview with Reshet Bet radio, Edelstein said: “Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s proposal to end the lockdown on Friday morning is irresponsible, the result would be fatal.”
The Health Minister also claimed that ending the lockdown this weekend would have a negligible impact on the economy, but a huge contribution to the increase of the pandemic, under the shadow of the British mutation.
Prof. Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute tweeted on Tuesday: “Bad news: apparently the British species acquired in a number of separate events the E484K mutation which also exists in the South African strain and partially impairs the effectiveness of the vaccine. It would be worthwhile to do genetic sequencing of the virus, at least in those who are hospitalized and hold a vaccine certificate (meaning that they tested positive after having been vaccinated – DI), in order to monitor the situation in Israel.”
According to several Israeli medical experts, this is bad news, indeed, suggesting, at the bottom line, that Israel is now experiencing the spread of mutated coronavirus species (the original British 501 which has mutated into 484 and 417) that may have developed a resistance to the vaccines.
The Health Ministry reported Wednesday morning 7,919 new patients, based on 88,503 test results Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning, there are 1,074 patients in serious condition, out of whom 292 are on respirators. A total of 4,888 have died since the outbreak of the pandemic. 3,236,859 have received the first dose of the vaccine; and 1,855,071 the second dose.
“We have to wait a few more days, then we will have completely different numbers of high risk population vaccinations,” Edelstein said, adding, “I understand the pressure to open up education and trade, but at least let us get through this weekend, and next week we’ll start the reopening with the utmost care where possible, as in one-on-one businesses, outfits that don’t admit customers, these can definitely reopen.”
Regarding Ben Gurion International Airport, Edelstein said emphatically that it would not restart operations next week, “otherwise it would be suicide.”
On Tuesday, Edelstein said the health ministry is considering the careful reopening of the education system, in a model to be formulated by the education ministry under the direction of the health ministry, and promised: “There will be a partial opening of education as early as next week.”
Edelstein also addressed people’s fear of getting vaccinated, and said he expected “a nice stabilization of the number of people receiving the second dose, but there is indeed a slowdown in people making appointments to get vaccinated.”
In light of this slowdown, Edelstein said that his office would consider on Wednesday the HMOs’ request to open up the vaccination campaign to the entire population.
Regarding the three mass Haredi funerals in Jerusalem earlier this week, Edelstein said: “The pictures were terrible. The mind does not tolerate it. However, even if this is how Mea Shearim behaves, it does not mean that we should all congregate.”
Corona Czar Prof. Nachman Ash told Reshet Bet ahead of the cabinet meeting on Wednesday to debate removing the lockdown that the Health Ministry intends to propose ending the lockdown on Sunday night depending on the decline in morbidity.