Coalition chairman MK Miki Zohar said on Thursday he sees no other way other than tightening the lockdown in order to allow the coronavirus to be eradicated in Israel.
"Israel needs one more hermetic lockdown so that we can say that we are past the pandemic. With all due respect to the opposition, which prefers everything to be open, the government must show responsibility and bring a decision to the Knesset for a full and complete lockdown for two weeks, just like in the first wave," Zohar said.
"If this decision is not approved in the Knesset, the public will refuse to forgive those who will torpedo it. This lockdown must be accompanied by significant economic compensation for business owners. If the government brings a resolution to the Knesset that includes a full and hermetic lockdown for two weeks along with significant economic compensation, I will do everything in my power to approve it in the Knesset," the Knesset member added.
Zohar's remarks follow a briefing given by the director general of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Hezi Levy, to journalists.
At the briefing, Levy said that "every day there are 30 new deaths and 100 people in serious condition. We are planning additional steps that we may need to take in order to reduce the morbidity - reducing study, staff and movement."
“If we continue at this rate of morbidity and fail to reduce it - we will double the number of cases every two weeks, double the serious cases every 5-6 days and reach a state of insufficiency and mortality. Therefore, we think we may have to impose more restrictions. We are waiting a while longer to see the effects of this lockdown, and we will know that in a few days," he added.