After five weeks of a lockdown that produced underwhelming results, we must not grow despondent and lose our composure. True, the public is tired and in distress, the economy and the education system are paralyzed, and the daily morbidity rate continues to be one of the highest in the world, if not the highest.
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There is no choice. We must recognize that restrictions on movement, labor, gatherings, and trade do not work as well as they did in the past. This is not the result of the British mutation of the virus but rather the Israeli variant of distrust, fatigue, and distress that has seen the public find ways to make a living, meet with others, and live their lives. The increase in morbidity is chiefly among the young and the general population; They haven't been vaccinated, and they aren't really in lockdown.
The vaccines formed a defensive shield and significantly lowered the number of seriously ill; Without them, we would have a catastrophe on our hands right now. Unfortunately, the euphoria the vaccines created led to a sense that we had reached the end of the pandemic.
So, what do we do now? Removing restrictions on movement, allowing the economy to partially reopen, and reopening preschools and daycare centers [outside of red cities] are the right things to do.
Please, do not underestimate the courage required to make such decisions when Israel's morbidity rate is double that of the UK, and with the reproduction rate hovering around one. There is no choice but to make a responsible decision while explaining the complexity and risk to the public it presents.
As for the vaccines, we must return to a state of urgency and renewed enthusiasm. We must vaccinate everywhere and adapt the campaign to promote the benefits of vaccination to young people. Protection from illness doesn't work with young people, so promise them freedom of movement, the ability to avoid quarantine and to get their lives back and be able to enjoy experiences like concerts and dining out. We must act quickly, and we must be bold and creative.
The most important thing is to renew dialogue with all sectors of the public while ignoring campaign politics. We must speak to people's emotions by explaining that we are on the right path but we must continue to adhere to the guidelines and get vaccinated. The public wants to see its leaders and coronavirus chief explain honestly and emotionally the difficult situation we are in but also that the light at the end of the tunnel is truly very near. We must explain why slowly exiting the lockdown at current morbidity rates is a gamble that requires the public to act accordingly.
Now is the time for every community leader to enlist their time and effort not to garner votes but to convince their members to behave properly, get vaccinated, and save lives.
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