Back in April, as our government was beginning to ease some restrictions on the economy that were put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, I said that easing those restrictions was a bad idea. Health authorities cautioned against it, as the country was still seeing new infections every day, and people were still dying. Nearly three months later, my worst fears have come true. The coronavirus is back with a vengeance. Israel is fast approaching two thousand new infections per week, and the death toll is climbing.
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Just three months ago, Israel was a model for other countries to copy. We had a very low mortality rate compared to other developed countries, and although we were still seeing new infections and a few deaths each day, we were fairing a lot better than much of the rest of the world.
But unfortunately, our government decided that the economy could not bear the burden of continuing the restrictions that had us winning the battle against the coronavirus. The question now is, how much more damage to the economy can we expect from having to re-impose the pandemic-related restrictions?
The healthcare system is now overwhelmed, and people who have gone back to work now face the prospect of being jobless again as restrictions on businesses come back into force. Even by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own admission, Israel opened up its economy too early and too fast. I certainly can't blame the citizens of Israel for being angry at our prime minister and government.
Nevertheless, I am saddened at the reaction of some members of the public who think that current circumstances merit violence and threats against Netanyahu. Violence and threats have no place in Israeli politics. Israelis must not go down the same path that led to the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. We must never again sink to such a level. Moreover, it was likely the actions of members of the general public that led to this second wave. Packing the beaches, not wearing masks, not practicing physical distancing, and other irresponsible behavior gave the virus the opportunity to go on the offensive, once again.
The restrictions that helped to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the first wave have to be reimposed. Everyone who is able to needs to stay home. No more packing the beaches, no more parties, and no more mass gatherings of any kind. I'm very sorry if my fellow Israelis want to be outdoors having fun and socializing. It's summer after all, so who doesn't want to be at the beach or at the bar, partying with their friends? But the name of the game in this situation is saving lives. Yes, staying at home is boring, and finding ways to fill your time during a lockdown can be difficult. But simply staying at home and only going out for essential reasons, like getting groceries, could save lives. So could wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, and keeping a distance between yourself and others.
Now of course, inasmuch as Israel's general public needs to do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the government must also pitch in where needed. The prime minister and his government have already announced billions of shekels in economic aid. But this aid has to be targeted so that it goes to the country's neediest. Simply giving everyone in the country a cheque is irrational. Why give money to wealthy people who don't need it? Instead, financial aid has to go where it is genuinely needed. It needs to go to the unemployed. It needs to go to the poorest people in the country, especially families, seniors, and the disabled.
In addition, the government must put more resources into the healthcare system before it collapses under the weight of this pandemic. This includes better contact tracing and testing as many people for the virus as possible, including those who are not showing symptoms. Just because a person doesn't show symptoms of COVID-19 doesn't mean that person can't spread the virus to others, and potentially kill someone.
Some countries, such as South Korea and New Zealand have been very successful in containing the spread of the virus in the long term. I see no reason why the startup nation we call Israel can't do the same, especially if Israelis put the same effort into beating this virus as they do in fighting wars to keep the country safe.
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