Top government officials were at odds Thursday over the possibility of imposing a fourth lockdown as part of the efforts to quell the latest resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic in Israel, fueled by the highly aggressive Delta variant.
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Health Ministry Director-General Professor Nachman Ash warned that barring a dramatic decrease in morbidity rates a fourth lockdown could impose even before the end of August, while Finance Ministry counterpart Ram Belinkov argued that "there's no need to panic" and said shuttering the economy again would be highly detrimental.
The Health Ministry said 3,430 Israelis tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive day in which infections crossed the 3,000-mark.
While the number marks a slight increase from Tuesday (3,290), it also represents a decrease from Monday when 3,851 new cases were diagnosed.
Israel has recorded 888,063 coronavirus cases since the onset of the global pandemic in March 2020, including 6,505 deaths.
The national vaccination campaign continued to go strong, as well. The Health Ministry reported that as of Wednesday, 5,797,586 Israelis have received the first dose and 5387452 had received the second shot.
Last week, Israel became the first country in the world to offer seniors 60 years and older a third jab. The response has been satisfactory and so far, 262,563 Israelis have received the second booster shot, the ministry said, with demands for appointments high.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday urged elderly Israelis eligible for a third vaccine to get it.
"In the next two or three weeks, anyone who is over age 60 and has not yet been vaccinated is especially at risk – six-times greater than those who received their third dose, and at least five days passed since their third dose," he said in a televised statement.
"I want to emphasize again: Whoever is age 60 and up and has not yet received their third dose is at about six times greater risk of becoming seriously ill, and of, God forbid, dying."
Meanwhile, the government debate over whether or not to impose a fourth lockdown heated up.
The so-called coronavirus cabinet is said to be mulling shuttering most of the economy in September, during the high holidays, when economic activity naturally slows down significantly, but Treasury officials are against the move.
Speaking with Army Radio, Ash stressed that while the government has no interest in imposing another lockdown, morbidity rates may force its hand even before September roles around.
"We don't want to reach a lockdown, but the reality could make it a necessary step," he noted. "We have started a third vaccination campaign to reduce the serious morbidity, and if we see a decrease it could prevent – or delay – more difficult steps."
Finance Ministry Director-General Ram Belinkov for his part, called another lockdown "a simple quick fix" saying "it is not the right approach. All it does is allow you to avoid dealing with the problem properly.
"For the past year and a half, the government has made decisions out of panic. There is no need for panic," he stressed and further dismissed the suggestion that September could provide an opportunity to close the economy with minimal repercussions.
"The economy is back to full capacity and in full force. Lockdown produces dire economic and emotional damages and there is no justification for that at this point," he asserted. "Enough with the panic. It's time to learn to live alongside the coronavirus."
Belinkov said a fourth lockdown would be "a catastrophe" adding that the Finance Ministry will not reinstate the unpaid leave benefits mechanism employed in previous instances.
"We won't make that mistake again," he said.
"Even now, talk of another lockdown is already harming businesses. We have to be responsible," Belinkov concluded, urging Israelis to vaccinate against the disease.
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