The rapid testing system will begin on Sunday • "We will celebrate Passover with the family"'

March 14, 2021   

Coronavirus project manager, Prof. Nachman Ash, announced this afternoon (Sunday) that there has been a significant and consistent decrease in morbidity over the past week. "Last week there has been a consistent decrease in morbidity. The infection rate dropped to 0.78. Yesterday, less than a thousand confirmed cases were detected, which is the lowest number in three months. The number of seriously ill patients is also decreasing, but slowly," the project manager said at a press briefing. However, Prof. Ash warned: "This positive trend may change if we are not careful. Strict adherence to a green label is the responsibility of the business owner and his interest. If there is an infection in a business, the harm will first and foremost be to his business. A person who enters a place that is supposed to operate with a green label and sees that this is not the case should protect himself and leave the place." According to him, "the issue of a law mandating testing for those who are not vaccinated is in consultation among the legal entities - and it is progressing." Regarding returnees from abroad, Prof. Ash said: "The risk of bringing a new mutation is always present. The responsibility for maintaining isolation lies with the returnees. First, everyone should be tested at the airport, and second, there must be effective isolation inside the home as well, in order to keep other family members at home. The fear of mutations will be with us in the coming months. Free travel abroad without isolation on the return will not happen soon." Regarding Passover, Prof. Ash said: "The Seder night is two weeks away. In light of good morbidity indicators, Passover can be celebrated in a reasonable manner. No further restrictions are expected for Passover, and in synagogues we will continue under the green label or in accordance with income restrictions, as chosen. Hospitality in homes is expected to remain under the existing gathering restrictions, events in hotels under the green label outline with the possibility for children with tests." According to Ash, "It is better to hold the holiday in the open air, since a gathering of several people around the table is a potential for infection. Anyone who is invited to a meal and feels symptoms is better off not risking infection." Regarding studies in the red cities, Prof. Ash said: "Looking at the opening of studies in the context of morbidity - it may be that if about 31% of the cities are red, it is a little and maybe we can absorb this. We want the morbidity to be low in every locality. In a red locality, there is a greater risk that a sick child will come to school, infect others - and the morbidity will spread. It is gratifying to see in the data that there is a large shift in localities from red to orange to yellow and green. The decrease is noticeable in the colors of the localities, but it is still right to keep the education system closed these days in red cities." Prof. Ash emphasized: "We may go back, but I don't see this happening in the near future. If the infection rate rises quickly and is higher than 1 and the number of patients in serious condition begins to increase - we will examine the further steps.'' In accordance with the agreement between Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, Ministry Director General Prof. Hezi Levy and Corona Commissioner Prof. Nachman Ash, it was agreed that starting this coming Sunday, the rapid testing system will come into effect. The Ministry of Health is promoting joint work with the Ministries of Finance and Economy in order to examine the way to enable maintaining an adequate price level for the rapid tests. The rapid testing outline is expected to be used for entry into green label activities, as a complementary action to the entry of vaccinated and recovering people, in a manner separate from the national PCR tests. Entry into green label activities will be allowed only to vaccinated people, recovering people and people who presented a negative test from a rapid test conducted on site. It should be emphasized that presenting a regular negative PCR test will not be allowed. Various businesses will be able to order rapid testing providers from an approved list that will be published on the Ministry of Health website.