Over the past two weeks, we have experienced a new wave of coronavirus infections, which has partly affected those who have been vaccinated. I have no doubt that the last thing the residents of Israel want, especially after finally returning to normal, is another significant infection wave entailing restrictions and economic damage.
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With that, it's important to remember that the morbidity situation isn't at all similar to the situation during the third wave. The fact that Israel is a global leader in terms of vaccinating the population makes the question of handling the current wave fundamentally different than coping with the third wave.
First and foremost, the government and health system's successful campaign to protect the residents of Israel with the Pfizer vaccine safeguards us against the harsh disease caused by the delta variant, similar to the level of protection the vaccine provides against the original alpha variant. Evidence of this can be found in a study conducted by the Health Ministry and Sheba Medical Center, which was published last week, and in other studies recently conducted in Great Britain, which has been facing a delta variant wave as well.
However, due to the fact that protection against delta variant infection is around 80%, the assessment is that we will continue to see a spike in the number of people who have contracted the virus.
Therefore, coping with this wave means we must keep a close eye on the number of seriously ill patients and operate in accordance with hospital stress loads. Yet, at the same time, we must also note the number of infections, as a small percentage will likely develop severe symptoms.
The response to the current wave needs to come on several levels. First, we must close the breaches at Ben Gurion Airport and the land crossings as quickly as possible. The decision to appoint former GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Numa to handle COVID measures at Ben-Gurion International Airport is an important and necessary step in curbing the flow of the delta variant into the country; and in the long term, in preventing new variants from entering as well. For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, we are seeing encouraging measures, such as removing travelers from planes destined for "red" countries in contravention of safety directives, separating those returning from red countries and green countries at the arrivals terminal in Israel, and enhancing the testing apparatus at the airport.
Second, we must increase the vaccination rate, with an emphasis on the coming week. This must be done to allow people to receive their second Pfizer dose before the end of July – when Israel's current supply of vaccines is set to expire. We need to vaccinate more teenagers, and around 10% more people aged 50 and up who still haven't been vaccinated.
Third, we have to consider imposing certain restrictions in a responsible manner, while minimizing economic and social harm. The decision to reinstate the Green Pass or Purple Pass into our lives depends on the number of infections and needs to be implemented cautiously and level-headedly.
If we needed a reminder that the world is a global village, then the gaps between the vaccination rates in Israel to other Western countries is proving it. As long as vaccination rates remain low in Third World countries, the coronavirus will remain a part of our lives. Hence, a joint global effort to eradicate the virus is imperative.
In the meantime, in light of Israel's relatively excellent situation, our ability to live normally alongside the coronavirus mostly depends on us. As long as we continue wearing masks indoors and observing isolation protocols, we can enjoy our summer holidays in Israel and avoid restrictions and other impairments to our quality of life.
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