Coronavirus cabinet to meet Thursday, discuss High Holy Day closure

At least 53 residents of senior living centers who died from COVID-19 were not accounted for by the Health Ministry.

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Israeli youths wearing masks ride a scooter as Israeli authorities brought back some coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions after the number of new cases jumped in what officials fear could herald a "second wave" of infections, in Elad, Israel June 24, 2020 (photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
Israeli youths wearing masks ride a scooter as Israeli authorities brought back some coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions after the number of new cases jumped in what officials fear could herald a "second wave" of infections, in Elad, Israel June 24, 2020
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
At least 53 residents of senior living centers who died from COVID-19 were not accounted for by the Health Ministry in July and August, a report showed Wednesday. As a result, the death toll spiked to 781 at press time.
The reason for the mistake, according to the ministry, was likely a simple computer reporting miscommunication between the ministry and several private senior living centers operating under the Magen Avot v’Imahot project. The ministry believes that the numbers were not inputted from one system to the other.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said that he takes the matter “very seriously,” and instructed his staff to carry out an in-depth investigation into how this happened. He asked that recommendations should be provided within the coming week and promised the public that the investigation would be transparent and its results shared.
At the same time, Health Ministry director-general Hezi Levi ordered that, going forward, all coronavirus mortality reports from all medical institutions be aggregated through a uniform source, including all geriatric centers’ reports, so that they can be reflected in the ministry’s computerized system.
“We immediately changed the way this is being managed so that it cannot happen again,” Levi said in an interview with Israeli media.
The ministry will look into whether there were any other unreported deaths, and said that no underreporting was found in the mortality data before the month of July.
Israel is considered to have a low mortality rate in comparison to much of the world. On Wednesday, it stood at No. 52 for the highest number of deaths out of 215 countries that report such information, according to Worldometer.
The ministry reported that eight people died between midnight and press time.
Moreover, Israel passed 97,000 total cases since the start of the pandemic, reaching 97,783. Of the country’s 23,918 active cases, some 398 were in serious condition, among them 118 who were intubated.
There were 1,644 people diagnosed with coronavirus on Tuesday and another 1,111 between midnight and press time on Wednesday.
Coronavirus commissioner Prof. Ronni Gamzu said that his goal is to reach around 400 new patients per day. However, according to a report published Tuesday by the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center, if the infection rate stays the same, it will take more than 90 days to reach that number.
The report showed that Israel has gained 63 serious patients in the last two weeks. In terms of the age of Israel’s patients, the report showed that 12% are over the age of 60, compared to 17% in the first wave.
ON THURSDAY, the coronavirus cabinet is expected to meet to discuss the commissioner’s new plans for cutting infection, which are likely to include a severe increase in restrictions.
In the past, Gamzu has said that he does not want to shut down the economy, but health experts have made clear that if the situation does not improve, it will require restrictions or even closure.
Dr. Hagit Sarbagil-Maman, deputy director-general of Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, said that a closure is needed and the start of the school year must be postponed.
“The steps taken so far, including by the team led by Prof. Gamzu, have led to stabilization, but they are unsatisfactory,” she said. “At this time, and especially toward the holiday period that will be characterized by reduced economic activity on the one hand and mass gathering on the other, a series of decisions are required to be made – even if they are unpopular.”
The cabinet is not expected to vote on a lockdown on Thursday, but it is likely that it will discuss one for the Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and maybe even Sukkot holidays, in hopes that this could stop an expected spike in infection at that time and that the economy will lose less funds.
Talk is that any lockdown will not be a total lockdown, but likely will involve just shuttering closed spaces where people gather, such as malls and indoor markets. The question of how High Holy Day prayer services will be held under such a situation is still under discussion.
On the other hand, the ministry removed its warning about entering the village of Yirka on Wednesday, after a decline in the infection rate. Last week, the ministry had cautioned the public not to enter the area, because the infection rate had risen sharply over two weeks.
Magen David Adom and the Home Front Command opened a drive-in testing center in the village, at which some 2,085 residents were examined over four days. Some 75 people were diagnosed with the virus, and epidemiological tracking was conducted. The patients were isolated, as were the people with whom they came into contact.
On the first day that people were screened, some 25 people tested positive. During the last day, despite an increase in the number of people tested, only six new patients were found.
The ministry showed 257 active patients in the village on Wednesday.