Faced with a second wave of coronavirus infection that is spiraling out of control, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein warned on Wednesday that the next few days could be critical because of the "emergency situation" Israel was facing.
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"The figures are not encouraging, we will have to consider every option in order to slow the infection rate," he warned. "If we do not have all options at our disposal we will end up with a lockdown," Edelstein said, urging the public and lawmakers to stand by his controversial steps targeting community spread clusters.
He added that the government was doing "all it can" to avoid a repeat of the long lockdown Israelis had to endure during the first wave of the infection in March and April.
There were 22,417 active corona cases in Israel as of Wednesday morning, with 181 patients listed in serious condition and the Health Ministry reportedly asked the former head of Israel Defense Forces Planning Directorate to serve as "corona czar." Almost 400 Israelis have died since the first case was diagnosed in the country several months ago.
"If we don't take important, yet small, steps in the next three to four days, reality will reimpose a lockdown on us," Edelstein said, although he refused to say what kind of lockdown would be introduced and whether it would be nationwide and all-encompassing as the previous one.
He further stressed that despite the apparent lack of leadership in handling the crisis, he was in charge and he was well aware of the controversies surrounding the various preventive measures, including the shutting down of various public venues. "If we make every decision into a political debate, we will end up with a lockdown," he stressed.
On Wednesday, the ministry announced it was relaxing the criteria for treating suspected cases. People who are thought to have been infected will not be tested unless they are exhibiting symptoms suggesting they were developing COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus. If they are known to be living with a confirmed carrier or if they have underlying medical preconditions, they will be tested.
The move was designed to help Israel's first responders and HMOs from coping with the rising number of patients.
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