"Unfortunately, it's been a few weeks since the curbing of the pandemic has lost direction. Despite constant warnings on various forums, we watch with frustration as we are losing valuable time. My professional opinion is not taken into account, and I can no longer help effectively stop the spread of the virus."
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One might think that the above was said by a senior Health Ministry official over the past few days, but this poignant statement was written in July, seven months ago, by Professor Siegal Sadetzki, then the head of the Health Ministry's Public Health Services, who together with former Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov lead the fight against the coronavirus pandemic when it first hit Israel, in a brave, thorough, responsible and dedicated manner.
The alarming rise in infection rates, the hundreds of patients in critical conditions and on ventilators, and the dozens of deaths recorded daily, together with the new data that 80 Israelis have tested positive for the new South African mutation, again raise difficult questions about the Health Ministry and the coronavirus cabinet's handling of the pandemic.
On Sunday, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz caved into pressure and, disregarding the Health Ministry's recommendations, said he would oppose any decision that will not see Israel lift lockdown by next week.
According to several senior health officials, the situation in Israel is very serious and requires to extend the lockdown for a few weeks from a both a health and moral perspective. It cannot be lifted simply because Likud and Blue and White's bickering.
Alas, with the exception of the Head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price, who courageously continues to speak out even if the Knesset and the government do not like to hear it what she has to say – none of this is said in public.
The most prominent voice that is missing is that of Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. One would expect to hear him every day, addressing the issues of overwhelemed coronavirus wards, victims, the criticism of the doctors, administrators, and relatives of the Health Ministry's handling of coronavirus patients. Instead, every day Edelstein sends messages through his spokesperson that boast, albeit rightfully so, about the success of the vaccination drive.
While the vaccination campaign's success is the envy of the world, the Health Ministry is failing to inform the public of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, because although a significant percentage of Israelis want and are in a hurry to get vaccinated, there are still entire sectors, like the Ultra-Orthodox and Arab populations, and even healthcare workers, who refuse to be vaccinated.
Before the current lockdown, the Health Ministry deliberately hid from the public the severity of the situation, which required a lockdown or tightening the restrictions, and more importantly, the ministry deliberately refrained from setting concrete numerical goals in curbing the pandemic, which, in turn, would make exiting this lockdown possible.
And so Israel is about the exit the lockdown without understanding at all why the Health Ministry thought it would be acceptable to do so. Perhaps because the ministry was already trampled on when the Knesset and the government overlooked its plans and warnings after the second closure, which resulted in today's reality of a horrific morbidity and infection rate, the highest since the outbreak of the pandemic.
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