Coronavirus in Israel: What is the policy for red and orange cities?

Here is what it will look like in these red and orange zones come September 1, when Gamzu plans to launch the plan:

By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Israel's new coronavirus czar, Ronni Gamzu (photo credit: FLASH90)
Israel's new coronavirus czar, Ronni Gamzu
(photo credit: FLASH90)
The coronavirus cabinet approved Prof. Ronni Gamzu’s “traffic light plan” for managing the pandemic, which creates an increased intervention model in “red” and “orange” cities, but what does this practically mean?
Here is what it will look like in these red and orange zones come September 1, when Gamzu plans to launch the plan:
1. Implementation of a massive and extensive support network and assistance for the population, while providing support under the aegis of the local council.
2. Improved cutting the chain of infection in these cities by means of operational tools, led by the IDF Home Front Command.
3. Strict adherence to quarantine of the family unit in order to cut inter-family infection and provide assistance to families.
4. Enforcement of the current restrictions regarding gatherings.
5. Management of a flexible network for evacuating infected people while giving local quotas above the actual criteria, under the aegis of IDF Home Front Command and the health maintenance organizations.
6. Restrictions on the education system – in coordination with it.
7. Increased assistance from the health maintenance organizations and management of the morbidity by the Health Ministry.
Coronavirus Commissioner Ronni Gamzu's first draft of his "Traffic Light" program. Data from his spokesperson. Credit: The Jerusalem Post
Coronavirus Commissioner Ronni Gamzu's first draft of his "Traffic Light" program. Data from his spokesperson. Credit: The Jerusalem Post
As of Thursday, there were four red cities in Israel and 21 orange. The red cities are Bnei Brak (1,981 people infected – 1% of the population), Modi’in Illit (859 – 1.1%), Emanuel (19 – 0.45%) and Kfar HaOranim (15 – 0.68%).
The orange zones are Jerusalem, Ashdod, Beit Shemesh, Elad, Beitar Illit, Kalansuwa, Ein Mahil, Rechasim, Kafr Manda, Givat Ze’ev, Safed, Zamzar, Yarcha, Kochav Ya’acov, Omer, Deir al-Asad, Nahf, Elkana, Alei Zahav, Zarzir and Kfar Vardim.
At the meeting, the commissioner presented a detailed version of this system for labeling coronavirus levels in different parts of the country, color-coding municipalities like traffic lights: green, yellow/orange and red. His idea is to let the municipalities take a more active role in managing their constituents and partnering with the Health Ministry and the IDF to stop the spread of infection.
A uniform criteria for defining red and orange zones will soon be rolled out by Gamzu and the Health Ministry. Gamzu said that before September 1, he would brief the public on further details of the program.