The coronavirus pandemic is in full force. Just this past weekend, another 51 lives were lost. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, over 3,600 Israelis have died. Yet it seems that although our focus should be on the victims, both the public and the media are directing their attention elsewhere.
This is not just the right thing to do from a moral perspective, but the best way to explain the threat posed by the virus. It must be done by senior Health Ministry officials who for some reason have refrained from mentioning the dozens that are dying from COVID-19 every day.
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Some 1,650 Israelis are currently hospitalized with the virus. Nearly 1,000 people are in serious condition, 236 of whom are on ventilators. That last number is important because it points to the severity of the current wave. The pressure on coronavirus wards is massive and will no doubt impact the quality of medical care given. Even if Health Ministry heads continue to insist hospitals are not collapsing, the reality in those wards tells another story. This is another critical way to explain the unbearably high price we are being made to pay for the pandemic.
In addition, Israel is now confirming nearly 8,000 new cases of the virus a day, across all regions and all population sectors, so that there are no longer any "green cities" at this point. The Health Ministry is concerned the accelerated spread of the virus following the discovery of both the UK and South African variants in the country raises serious concerns the spread will continue at an increased rate and on a wide scale.
All sectors of society must adhere to the lockdown and the coronavirus restrictions if we are to save hundreds, if not thousands, of seriously ill patients from death. And no, we should not obscure what is going on: Israel is in a very dangerous place when it comes to the increased rate of infection and morbidity. Had we not entered a third prolonged lockdown, Israel would be even worse off than we were during the first wave of the outbreak. Truth be told, we are already in a very worrying position, but the lockdown can help mediate the health catastrophe at hand.
Nor can we obscure the image that there are a number of sectors in Israel that violate the lockdown and coronavirus restrictions, thereby inflicting harm on themselves, their families, and the entire country. Enforcement of the restrictions must be increased, fines must be raised – although the coronavirus cabinet has approved such a move, nothing has come of it due to political pressure - and outreach efforts must be expanded.
The vaccines are the central means for tackling and eradicating the pandemic, and Israel has recorded tremendous success on a global level in both the pace and efficiency of its vaccination campaign. Yet it will take a few months before we can declare that the vaccines are bringing about the end of the pandemic, or at the very least have made it nonlethal, and until we are able to go back to our normal lives.
In the meantime, we must hope that the current lockdown doesn't end before we see a significant decrease in the number of new daily cases. We must also hope the exit from this lockdown is gradual and cautious so that we are finally able to stop counting the dead.
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