Israel continues today to adjust to the new daily routine in the shadow of coronavirus. Due to the success in containing the pandemic, the continued drop in the number of newly infected and patients in critical condition, there is a possibility that the exit could be faster than what the government initially planned in the areas of education, trade, transport, culture, leisure, even in tourism and hotels.
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It is clear to all that for a long time the new way of life with coronavirus will not be anything like it was before the pandemic. It is also clear that it is not "just a type of flu," as a few senior doctors and researchers still say, some of them unprincipled charlatans with no public or moral responsibility, even if some of them hold or have held senior positions in the Health Ministry or public hospitals.
It is important to note that according to a growing number of testimonies, the coronavirus pandemic, which has no vaccine or medication at the moment, is responsible for the painful deaths of tens of thousands of people around the world in a way that was until now unknown in medical history, and unfortunately is still causing tens of thousands of deaths in some countries and cities, such as Italy, Spain, France, and the US.
However, the public and government must not live under the illusion that the coronavirus is behind us and that it is possible to go back to the routine we had before the pandemic. Furthermore, we still have difficult, complex and challenging tests to pass in the coming weeks and months, and our behavior in this new routine will determine whether Israel can protect the good results it has achieved compared to other countries, or whether we will regress to places we would rather not reach.
The new routine, which includes physical and social distancing, wearing a mask and strict hygienic rules, is difficult for us all, since it goes against our natural habits and in a way that is contrary to our human nature and social existence. But the success of exiting the coronavirus restrictions depends very much on following these rules, despite this difficulty.
The public's demand for a quick return to normal is also understandable, but Israel must still maintain a cautious, responsible and balanced policy as it has until now, and continue to withstand the irresponsible and at times outrageous demands and calls from politicians, economists and unfortunately doctors, that could ruin the considerable achievements in its battle against coronavirus.
Moshe Bar Siman Tov, the director general of the Ministry of Health, said at the beginning of the pandemic that Israel, like the rest of the world, is fighting the spread of a virus that until recently was not known to science and medicine under "very thick fog of war." All this while the country was walking in a "minefield" with many unknowns.
But the exit is still taking place under the fog of war and in a minefield, and therefore it must be cautious, slow and balanced, because haste could push the numbers in Israel to those we saw in Italy, Spain and New York.
