The story of the Israeli premiant, who was able to deal with the pandemic quickly, is a thing of the past. The country is experiencing sharp increases in infection, with an average of 400 more cases a day, and on Wednesday tests revealed more than 500 patients.
In May, however, the epidemic situation looked optimistic and the government restored the economy and public and social life relatively quickly. People returned to the streets of Tel Aviv and to the beaches, and the country awoke from quarantine lethargy.
However, the return to normal also had a flip side. Schools opened where hundreds of children became infected. The public transport in operation caused the passengers to huddle on the platforms. In addition, the May optimism led to laxity. Stacked parties and mass celebrations of football fans were held.
Higher fines. But Israel does not plan to return the area measures
Israel is now announcing zero tolerance. For example, fines for moving without veils have increased. “The safest way to stop a pandemic is for all citizens to wear veils and keep their distance from other people,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on residents.
His cabinet is reluctant to call the current rise in cases the second wave. It also does not plan to return to the original area measures. However, he postponed the opening of the border and wants to resume surveillance of infected people via mobile phones, which was temporarily carried out by the Shin bet secret service.
There is also a civilian application for mobile phones, but so far it has shortcomings, explains David Borek, the correspondent of the Czech Television in Israel. “There is a proposal that the application will not be mandatory, but that people who want to take public transport or place their children in schools will have to have the application,” he adds.
According to him, the authorities are also considering limiting the number of people allowed at mass events such as weddings. Borek also points out that closed borders meanthat the inhabitants of densely populated Israel can only go on holiday within their homeland, and it is therefore very difficult to monitor the spread of the disease.
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