Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis (Courtesy)
“I have to say there will not be tens of thousands in a concert,” Alroy-Preis said, adding that Israel was still seeing 6,000 new positive tests a day on average with a 7% positive rate.
“We still need to be careful, we are in a critical stage and even when you have a ‘green pass’ it does not mean there is no coronavirus,” she said referring to the government plan to open up a range of public events to those holding a vaccination certificate.
The issue of vaccine hesitancy and skepticism is a growing concern as Israel’s world-leading inoculation campaign has slowed in recent weeks. Over 3,780,710 Israelis have received the first dose of vaccine and 2,415,692 have received both doses nearly a quarter of the entire population.
The decision taken after PM consulted with ministers of defense, education and health will be presented to the cabinet for a vote; 'children's health and safety is paramount' Education Minister Galant says in post to parents
Businesses serving one customer at a time and companies not dealing with public can now reopen; government due to meet Sunday on reopening kindergartens and schools later in week for under-10s and high schoolers preparing to sit matriculation exams this year
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Between September 1 and January 25, most wealthier countries around the world managed to keep their schools open, fully or at least partially, UNESCO data shows. In Israel, in-person teaching in schools never occurred simultaneously in every locality and at every age level.
The Education Ministry insisted on starting the school year in September, using a plan rife with issues. It set out without a budget for its unwieldy segregation model, relying on large capsules that were not hermetically sealed, despite warnings that it was liable to lead to spread of the virus. Even though this led to schools closing down after just two weeks, Education Minister Yoav Galant insisted on replicating the model after the second lockdown. Consequently, they were closed again. The government never tried to alter the model or learn from other countries, heading into disaster.
No one is thinking of the children
Opinion: 45% of new infections since start of 2021 have been among under-17s, despite schools being closed; with UK coronavirus strain showing alarming spread in minors, are we really going to sacrifice them for politicians ambitions?
Hadar Gil-Ad |
Published: 01.26.21 , 23:39
Israel s coronavirus infection rate is still worryingly high, but that has not stopped the country s elected officials from starting discussions on an exit strategy for the current lockdown.
And who is the first on the list? Our children, of course.
3 צפייה בגלריה
(Photo: Reuters)
They are apparently a justifiable sacrifice for some quick and cheap political credit in the run-up to the March 23 elections, an event as frightening as a fourth wave of the pandemic itself.