Israeli Health Ministry director-general Prof. Nachman Ash said Tuesday that the large number of people in quarantine recently has put extreme strain on Israel’s economy, and influenced the ministry’s decision to cut the number of days of quarantine to five.
Speaking with Radio 103FM Tuesday morning, Ash said the government is looking for a ‘middle path’ to balance economic needs with efforts to contain outbreaks of the Omicron variant.
“In every situation in which we cut the number of days required for quarantine, we free up more people who are almost certainly infected,” acknowledged Ash.
“But the large number of people in quarantine is crushing the economy. Even today, there are infected people going around. So we took some careful steps which if adhered to, will reduce this.”
Turning to the situation in hospitals, Ash said that the “pressure on hospitals and on the health system is great.”
“Our call centers are flooded, and our automated system is packed. The whole system is on the brink.”