Yuli Edelstein
Yuli EdelsteinFlash90

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein presented innovative technologies for rapid coronavirus testing at the Beit Sherman Innovation Center at Sheba Medical Center Wednesday.

In a press briefing, Edelstein said, "We are seeing the initial effects of the lockdown and a decline in the number of verified cases. However, I do not suggest jumping to conclusions that it is all over, that we have won and that we will open the economy. It is quite clear that we need quite some time to be sure that things are as we want, time to reach the same parameters with which we can start leaving the quarantine."

"There should be no expectation of the of a wide reopening of the economy next week. It will take some more time," Edelstein said. "Anyone who is currently fighting for the rapid opening of industries in the economy is harming the Israeli economy."

Edelstein emphasized: "When we get through the holiday and see the data, if the public kept to the guidelines during Simchat Torah as well. The hakafot (rounds of dancing with the Torah Scroll) are an event that makes us happy, but this year they are a terrible danger."

Regarding the enforcement of emergency regulations, the health minister said that "I am not the cat Tom and no one is the mouse Jerry. One should not focus on who was caught and who circumvented the guidelines. Things are clear - if we follow the guidelines, the time the lockdown is in effect could be shortened."

Minister Edelstein said that "through several methods, we have developed technologies that will allow the testing of dozens of samples simultaneously, which will bring us to the upcoming morbidity season with a capacity of 100,000 tests per day. I am confident it will be a significant change in our ability to sample the population and to move from quarantine to control as much as possible."

Deputy Health Minister Director General Prof. Itamar Grotto spoke about the new technologies: "We focused mainly on the issue of rapid tests, which can filter the population in the early stages of the disease. The vision is that at the entrance to the mall there will be a coronavirus examination, which will allow us to continue with the routine of life except for the masks."