Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kish (Likud) said Tuesday afternoon that health experts will be able to determine by the end of this week whether the ongoing nationwide lockdown is effective at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking with Radio 103 FM, Kish said Israel is “in the midst of an important process which must succeed.”
“It’s a combined effort we’re all a part of to lower the infection rate, and it demands we all pay a price. I’m happy that Israel understands that and has reached this step, even if it came late.”
Kish said the lockdown was necessary, suggesting that the previous plan – dubbed the ‘traffic light plan’ with differential restrictions on areas based on their infection rates – had failed.
“Coronavirus czar Gamzu wanted to lower the infection rate without a lockdown. If that had worked, we’d be having a different conversation now.”
“Israel did not succeed in fighting a war against the coronavirus in a differential way,” continued Kish, referring to the ‘traffic light’ plan. “We failed with the differential local restrictions because of pressure from lobbyists from all kinds of industries and population sectors who were opposed to the restrictions.”
The three-week lockdown first went into effect on September 18th, and was intensified last Friday afternoon. It is tentatively set to end on October 9th.
However, earlier on Tuesday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said that the lockdown would have to be extended, without giving an estimate for when it may be lifted.