The Israeli Government has just announced another update to our current lock down status. All restrictions are to be lifted by March 9th (if there is no deterioration in infection rates etc.).
The entire country, indeed, the entire world, has been through ups and downs, closures and relaxations, and other restrictions for almost a full year. As of today, some 3 million Israelis have been vaccinated, including me. But over 5000 people are listed as having died from the virus. In some countries the rates of infection and fatalities are worse.
One Israeli hospital has developed a treatment that offers great promise for saving individuals who are already infected. The graph of increasing infection rates in Israel appears to have reached a plateau, and is no longer rising steeply. We have endured 3 extended closures and restrictions that included shutting down the educational system, closing commerce {almost totally, except for food and medical treatment), and sealing the borders (well, sort of, but with a lot of leaks). This newest plan is. hopefully, going to be the last of it’s kind.
Previous closures were imposed and lifted by the government on the recommendation of the Health Ministry, but with a large dose of internal politics included. Various pressure groups, ethic and economic, all worked to have their restrictions ended earlier. Parents wanted their kids back in school, shop owners wanted to re-open, Arab and Ultra-orthodox communities with higher infection rates wanted to be exempt. Sadly, because we have an election due in about a month and a half, the politicians maneuvered to balance potential votes against health and economic damages. The results left much of the country with little faith in the ability of the government to reach good decisions.
I pray that this time they got it right.
Wetherhorn 