A survey conducted by the Home Front Command indicates a significant problem of public trust in the authorities following the Corona crisis.
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The survey - published in Israel Hayom - was conducted at the end of July and examined the situation from the perspective of citizens, compared to similar surveys conducted in May-June.
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The survey shows a dramatic decline in all indicators examined, reflecting deep public concern.
The most significant figure in the survey concerns public trust in state authorities: only 191% of those surveyed said they had trust in state authorities, compared to 521% who expressed trust in the previous survey conducted in May-June.
Another amazing statistic that emerges from the survey: only 171% of citizens understand the various guidelines regarding Corona, compared to 651% who understood the guidelines in the previous survey.
The general mood of the public is also declining: from 60% to 38%.
Another worrying statistic: Only 361% of those surveyed believe they will be able to cope with the coronavirus crisis and its consequences over the long term.
The survey also examined the main issues that are currently troubling the country's citizens: 31% responded that their main concern is their economic situation, 22% are mainly concerned about the government's functioning and how it is handling the crisis, 16% about their health, and 9% about the uncertainty associated with the current situation. The remaining respondents were unable to identify a clear main concern.
The survey included a representative sample of the population in Israel (700 respondents).
The Home Front Command conducted it as part of its ongoing population studies, with the aim of focusing its activities within the framework of the Corona crisis. The survey data was forwarded to the IDF leadership and the heads of the Health and Defense Ministries, and as far as is known, was also presented to the ministers of the Corona Cabinet.
Sources familiar with the matter said that these are unprecedented low figures for public trust in state authorities.
According to them, the data indicates an "urgent need for different conduct" to restore the damaged trust, which is "critical for continuing the fight against the virus.".
The main responsibility for this will be assigned from next week to the IDF and the Home Front Command, within the framework of the new mission headquarters, which will begin operating today.
This headquarters will only be fully operational on November 1 - in preparation for winter and the expected fight against the pandemic alongside the seasonal flu, but the expectation is that in the coming weeks it will lead to significant efficiency gains in a number of areas - from the scope of tests and the pace of their execution, to the scope and efficiency of epidemiological investigations, to improved treatment in cities with high morbidity (orange and red cities).
The officials said that in coordination with the coronavirus project manager, Prof. Roni Gamzo, a target of 24 hours was set from the moment a person's first symptoms appear until they receive an answer about whether they have coronavirus. This is compared to the current average time of 5-6 days.
Following this, intensive epidemiological investigations will also be carried out by thousands of researchers, some of whom will operate within the framework of local authorities and some within the framework of the Home Front Command, all in an effort to quickly break the chain of infection and reduce the number of new infections from approximately 2,000 per day to less than 400.
