Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s gradual exit plan from the current restrictive routine, in light of the government’s perceived success in handling the corona-crisis.
In a live address, broadcast on all of Israel’s major domestic television networks, the Israeli Premier insisted that three factors ultimately brough about the apparent success of limiting the potentially dire’ implications of the corona pandemic.
The Israeli leader said “our success is not based on genetics, not on climate, not on the fact that we are an island, because none of these things matter. It is based on three basic things. The first thing is the fast and calculated steps that have been taken since the global crisis, first and foremost, the closure of borders, home isolation and digital surveillance. The second cause of success is the wonderful dedication of our medical teams, doctors and nurse practitioners, MDA teams, rescue teams, hospital administrators, and their people. Our third and greatest cause is your responsiveness, the citizens of Israel.”
According to Netanyahu, the three stated factors brough-out about a significantly lower number of contagion carriers, in contrast to other afflicted countries around the world.
Furthermore, they allowed Israel’s health system to function properly, and while each victim is a devastating loss, the low mortality rate is inter-connected to the strict measures that were implemented by Jerusalem. Thus, Israel’s government “devised a comprehensive, measured, and responsible plan that allows the State of Israel to gradually return to a new routine – the Corona routine.”
Nevertheless, Netanyahu emphasized that any exit plan will remain subject change, based on situation assessments. “It’s like a pilot flying an airplane. He has an altimeter, a pressure gauge, a fuel gauge. If he sees a red light on one of those metrics, he should immediately recalculate his rout. That’s what we will do with regard to Corona. We are closely monitoring the data … I wanted to tell you ‘once a day’ but we do this twice, three times a day. We are constantly following this. All the time, and we will continue the monitoring. If a red light comes on we will have to change the policy, And God forbid we get to the point where everything we’ve done, all of our great achievements go down the drain. ”
Among others, the Israeli Premier announced that restrictions barring Israelis from exiting the 100-meter radius from their residence will be terminated immediately. Furthermore, all will be permitted to visit immediate family members, so long as they maintain social distancing and hygiene. The government also intends on reopening the country’s education system by 14, May. The Prime Minister clarified, “At the moment we are still restricting gatherings to no more than 20 people and only in the open space, but if all goes well, in two weeks on May 17 we will convene gatherings of 50 people. Even before that, Lag Ba’omer, because there are many weddings around Lag Ba’omer, we will allow 50 people weddings, a wedding ceremony and a blessings, not dancing, again with no contact, but to allow weddings, whoever plans it can plan it. On May 31, we will allow a gatherings of up to 100 people and on June 14, we hope we can completely eliminate the gathering limit.”
Concluding his statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed “everything I have presented here gives a lot of optimism and a lot of hope. The horizon looks brighter. But the current situation assessment is based on the current situation. The situation assessment is based on the situation and not on the heart’s desire. We are dealing with a huge global crisis. No one in the world can say for sure what else will happen. I tell you this because I speak to many leaders around the world. I also speak to the world’s leading experts. Each of which says ‘I cannot tell you what will happen.’ This should not discourage us, it should not depress us either, because so far we have been able to withstand this epidemic in an exceptional manner. However, the virus may re-erupt, in a second wave, and perhaps more seriously. We have to be ready for that. We will be prepared for this in the form of measures, I will not list them at the moment, [but] we are dealing with this. Beyond the question of reopening the economy, reopening the state under a corona routine, we are preparing for the possibility that the second wave will erupt before a vaccine is found. I’m not sure that’s going to happen, I hope it doesn’t happen, I pray it won’t, but I know that with God’s and your help we will be ready for it. “