The global fight against the spread of the coronavirus is expanding, and the Israeli Health Ministry has taken the lead in extending its travel warnings beyond China to include other central Asian countries, such as Thailand, Japan and Singapore.
However, it isn't an unequivocal warning not to visit these countries or to necessarily quarantine individuals returning from these places. The cost of issuing the warnings, even before most other Western countries have done so, is the potential harm to diplomatic relations with the aforementioned Asian countries. So much so that the Foreign Ministry on Monday criticized the Health Ministry's new and unprecedented travel warnings. The Health Ministry's cautious stance, however, is part of its duty to protect the health of the Israeli public and to try preventing the arrival of the virus to the greatest extent possible.
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The Health Ministry's new warnings are part of the global effort to stop the virus from spreading and heaven forbid becoming a full-blown, deadly epidemic on a mass scale. And the concerns, which are significant, don't only pertain to the public's health. There could also be devastating ramifications for the global economy, of which China is a major player. And yet, the Health Ministry in Israel, similar to other such authorities across the planet, is duty-bound to take these measures to protect the peoples of all countries and humanity in general. The fear within the Health Ministry is that it's just a matter of time until the coronavirus infects someone in Israel. This fear was greatly reinforced amid reports that an Israeli woman has been infected with the virus on a quarantined cruise ship off the coast of Japan.
One of the main problems with the international effort to eradicate the virus is that information about it is largely based on the information provided by the Chinese authorities. Senior Israeli healthcare officials believe this information is insufficient and not credible enough – which is making it exceedingly difficult for Israel and the rest of the world to defend against the relatively mysterious virus in the prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty. The Health Ministry has already implemented several drastic and extraordinary measures that haven't been seen in Israel for decades. These include giving the courts the authority to forcefully quarantine people suspected of being infected and obligating them to remain in quarantine at home or in the hospital for two weeks. The Health Ministry is even supporting the idea of using the police in cases where Israelis violate the court order.
With that, the Health Ministry is also waging the familiar battle against rumors and fake news. Almost daily, the ministry issues announcements beseeching the public not to disseminate unfounded information and fake news about sick Israelis or alleged outbreaks of the virus in Israel. In this regard, too, the ministry is again depending on the solidarity of the Israeli public and hoping that it avoids spreading misinformation. Meanwhile, any credible and accurate information the public wishes to share with the authorities is being prioritized and is crucial in the fight against the spread of the virus.
Officials in the Health Ministry believe, as stated, that it's likely a matter of time until the first person in Israel is infected with the virus, but even if this happens it still wouldn't signal an outbreak. In such a scenario, Israeli society will need to rally together in typical solidarity, people will need to remain calm and collected and avoid disseminating fake news, and the relevant health authorities will need to manage the crisis efficiently.
