Temperature inspection at entrance to supermarket
Temperature inspection at entrance to supermarketISTOCK

Former Director General of the Ministry of Health and CEO of Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Prof. Gabi Barbash, came on Radio 103FM today (Sunday), to discuss the rise in the COVID-19 morbidity rate in Israel with journalist Ben Caspit and former MK Aryeh Eldad.

Barbash said, "I don't think there is [too much] reason for concern, but we need to draw conclusions from previous experience, and come up with ways to curb this wave, which is really the continuation of the first wave—not necessarily a second one. This virus is [still] here, and we will have to find a way to cope with it, while continuing to drive the economy."

Asked whether the lockdown was cancelled too early, he replied, "Enforcing a complete lockdown is a dramatic move that should only have been done once. Some mistakes, such as re-opening the school system [early on] should not have been allowed. People are already on the edge. They can't fully grasp the meaning of a repeat wave."

In May of this year, when the government decided to send Israeli children back to school following a substantial reduction in the coronavirus infection rate, Professor Gabash told Channel 12 News that, "The system is not at all ready to bring Israel's children back to school," adding that "...the health and education systems must establish clear procedures and impose these on school administrators - those who know the classrooms best must be tasked with the responsibility to prepare the building and adapt it to the coronavirus routine."

"Hygiene and cleanliness are a basic condition for returning to school - and the local authorities are the ones who need to oversee this, but parents also have a responsibility to be involved," he continued.

"There are four health maintenance organizations in Israel today and there should be one body that will be able to communicate with everyone. If a child is infected with the virus and the entire class needs to be checked quickly, it is not clear who would be in charge of coordinating the process," he stated at the time.