PM Netanyahu told Ynet NewsIsrael would not be seeing further lockdowns following the March 23 elections. The premier did, however, warn that additional outbreaks of new COVID-19 strains could bring about health safety measures to curb morbidity.
Israel has been widely viewed as the world leader in its nationwide campaign to vaccinate residents, hoping that once a wide majority of adults receive the jab, herd immunity will prevent additional outbreaks in virus morbidity.
During the interview, Netanyahu was pressed on the country's excessively high per-capita COVID-related death rate, to which he answered that Israel has seen less Corona victims than other countries of comparable size. “Six thousand dead is a difficult number for all of us, but it is much less than other countries our size,” pointed out Netanyahu.
The upcoming general elections are expected to bring Israelis visiting abroad back home as they participate in the fourth election round in two years. Netanyahu's supporters point to his administration purchase of millions of Corona vaccines well ahead of other nations albeit for a steeper price, while detractors maintain the Likud made a number of costly mistakes throughout the crisis, including allowing foreigners into Israel during morbidity spikes and lack of equal enforcement nationwide.