The deputy revealed: This is the number of seriously ill patients that would have flooded hospitals without a lockdown

January 31, 2021   

Is it your position to extend the lockdown by at least a week? ""Unequivocally until we really start to see a decrease in severe morbidity in hospitals.". ""I don't like speculation, I think that in the end we have to face the situation. There is no doubt that there is an element of fatigue and burnout, but right now, with the number of serious illnesses in hospitals, it is impossible to give up.". Will the lockdown be extended for another week? ""We are currently talking about another week, what will allow us to make some easing this weekend will be the decrease in severe morbidity in hospitals and I believe we will see that.". Could the lockdown last more than a week? ""I can't say where we will be in a week, we make decisions based on the current level of morbidity. We were surprised by the aggressiveness of the British variant, the whole world was actually surprised, and we are currently responding to it, so I am careful not to make predictions about this disease. It is impossible to ignore the fact that three million were vaccinated out of about 1.7 million who received the second dose, most of whom are in the at-risk population.". Despite the impressive vaccination campaign, Dr. Sharon Alrai Price says there is evidence that the vaccine is less effective against the South African variant. ""We are in general apprehensive. You see the very severe restrictions on Israeli citizens, both on entry and return, and this is something that we will have to institutionalize and will accompany us for a long time.". If the South African variant resists the vaccine, meaning it doesn't work on it, will the whole loop start over? ""That's not what was said, its effectiveness may be lower and it hasn't been proven yet. I think we also, in terms of the outbreak, have no doubt that what is present in very large numbers in the Israeli community today is the British variant, not yet the South African one. We are making great efforts to stop the spread of the variant, there is probably effectiveness, but it is lower. I am more worried about the things that I don't know if will come.". Continued closure of the skies? Are you considering a two-week closure? ""Ben Tel Aviv Airport and not only, all entrances to the State of Israel should be controlled, with entry into isolation in hotels.". Is everything closed? Jordan too? ""Everything needs to be closed. Right now it's closed, but we'll have to open, and when that happens - all those returning to Israel will go into quarantine in hotels, and we'll be able to monitor and see that he's not sick - by performing a test before entering Israel, and also upon entering the country.". Can the idea of ​​an electronic bracelet pass the legal process? ""We will have to, I say again, in light of the fact that we have seen that people are not strict about isolation. If it is isolation following exposure to a confirmed case in Israel, then the isolation will be as we know it. Isolation of someone coming from abroad will go to a hotel, and the idea of ​​using digital identification could help us. I can say that it is not a bracelet, there are different technologies.". Would you close the sky earlier? "ברגע שנודע על הווריאנט הבריטי סגרנו, שמו את כולם במלוניות אבל לא הצלחנו לאכוף את זה. אירוע המלונית מאוד קשה. אני חושב שהנושא של האיכון הדיגיטלי צריך להיות כאופציה למי שיעדיף ברמה האישית, אתה לא חייב שיעקבו אחריך כדי לקיים את הבידוד אבל מי שיחליט שהוא רוצה לצאת לבידוד ביתי אחרי שהבדיקה התקבלה ושלילית תהיה לו אופציה לבחור אם ללכת לבידוד ביתי עם מערכת איכון כדי לוודא שהוא מקפיד. "אנחנו בוחנים מספר דברים, גם במדינות כמו ניו זילנד, הונג קונג ואחרות, בסוף כשאתה רוצה לשמור שלא ייכנס לפה משהו את החייב לראות שהבידודים נשמרים ולצערי הם לא נשמרו מספיק טוב עד עכשיו. יש מכשירים שמדי פעם מצלצל וכדי לאשר שאתה נמצא צריך לתת טביעת אצבע. אנחנו לא נשתמש באפליקציה כי אנחנו צריכים לתת מענה לכל הציבור ויכול להיות שזה יהיה מכשיר פיזית". These are hundreds of thousands of devices, do you have them? ""We are organizing, there will be a technological solution. It may be that in the end it will be a bracelet, there are many technologies that other countries use and we will have to be more careful with the isolations. I think that as an alternative to hotel isolation, anyone who asks to leave the hotel and go home under technological isolation, I think that is something we should give them as an option - only for those returning from abroad.". Will those vaccinated be exempt from quarantine? ""I haven't seen anyone talk about it. The issue of whether someone who is vaccinated or recovers can infect someone else who is not vaccinated is a question that still doesn't have a well-organized professional answer. The medical assumption is that it is not, but there will be concerns about this matter and it will be examined. I will wait to hear what the medical professional levels say.".