Speaking to Kan Reshet Bet, Minister for Social Equality MK Meirav Cohen (Blue & White) expressed criticism of the government's policy vis-a-vis social workers, questioning why they were not exempted from the lockdown during the "first wave" of the virus.
"During the first wave, social workers were not categorized as essential workers - which is absolutely ridiculous," she said. "Most of them were laid off on unpaid leave. Would anyone consider doing the same to doctors? And now, the social work sector is in total crisis - it's exploding in our faces."
Responding to steps taken to help the sector recover, Cohen said, "We abandoned these people, and now we're paying the price. We will be demanding that they be given the means to resume their work - in fact, this will be one of our main demands during budget negotiations."