Head of the Association of Public Health Doctors, Professor Hagai Levine, has expressed criticism of the government's current handling of the coronavirus epidemic.
In an interview on Reshet Bet, Levine said, "Unfortunately, this government is acting extremely illogically, without any epidemiological basis to the steps they take. For instance [the decision to shut beaches] makes little sense, as the danger of becoming infected by the sea, in the open air, is miniscule in comparison to the danger of contagion in an enclosed space."
Levine added that, "Safeguarding the health of the nation includes looking after mental health, as well as economic welfare. Ordering people to remain shuttered in their homes could achieve the opposite from the intended goal and actually lead to an increase in virus transmissions. On the one hand, we have to take precautions even where regulations do not obligate us to. On the other hand, [the government] should not be taking a forceful, opaque approach which makes them appear detached [from the concerns of regular people]."