Much like the rest of the world, Israel is now partaking in a historic battle to eradicate a virus that could, in some worst-case scenarios, lead to millions of Israelis being infected and perhaps even thousands of dead.
The rather unprecedented lockdown of schools and the various prohibitions on public gatherings are necessary and just steps. They are all based on the recommendations put forth by the World Health Organization.
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The ministries of health and finance have been locking horns in recent days over the steps Israel should take. The former wants the toughest measures to be adopted, and it has so far succeeded. The latter has managed to prevent a total shutdown of the economy, but experts predict this may very well happen as a last resort in order to contain the spread of COVID-19, the illness linked to the virus.
Israeli authorities, like their counterparts around the world, are working in the dark; there is no sure way of knowing just how many people are infected by the novel coronavirus. The scenarios, based on what has unfolded in other countries, take into account that millions of Israelis could become carriers, and the number of dead or severely sick could be in the tens of thousands.
Israel has not discounted the potential dangers posed by the coronavirus and has treated it as if it was another existential threat like those posed by its enemies. Our healthcare professionals are bracing for the possibility that thousands of sick Israelis will overwhelm hospitals.
The response should go beyond medical aspects. It should also include socioeconomic, political and psychological aspects. Whenever an outbreak takes place, there is often misinformation, along with scary rumors and hysteria. The Ministry of Health and the Israel Police must crack down on those scaremongers.
Most of the measures introduced by the Ministry of Health to contain the outbreak rely on mutual solidarity and the sense of personal responsibility by Israelis, along with technology. But the authorities are also using the threat of strict enforcement to make sure Israelis comply.
This is why the Ministry of Health announced a mandatory two-week quarantine on those who return from abroad and on people who are found to be close to carriers of the disease.
The ministry knows full-well that it would not be able to deal with the outbreak and monitor those who are sequestered on its own. It relies on Israelis' willingness to sacrifice for the greater good.
