Health Ministry urges stricter COVID-19 lockdown

No plan in place to sanction health funds who vaccinate large numbers of not high-risk people at the end of the day.

By HANNAH BROWN
Stores are seen shuttered closed and streets are empty in Jerusalem's Old City amid Israel's third coronavirus lockdown, on January 4, 2021. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Stores are seen shuttered closed and streets are empty in Jerusalem's Old City amid Israel's third coronavirus lockdown, on January 4, 2021.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Dr. Orly Greenfeld, the medical director of the national vaccine program of the Health Ministry, said at a press briefing Monday afternoon that the ministry was pushing for a “much faster and stricter lockdown” for two weeks that would be intended to bring down the number of cases of the coronavirus infection to less than one thousand per day and the rate of infection to less than one.
“We are a bit far from that,” she said, answering a question about an exit strategy from the current lockdown, which many in the Health Ministry feel is too lax since it allows many people to work and children to go to school.
“When we see fewer seriously ill patients and the number of those vaccinated is higher, we will be able to ease up on regulations,” she said.
Asked whether the Health Ministry was considering sanctions on health funds that have been vaccinating large numbers of people who are not in the risk groups at the end of the day, when all the vaccines in the batch that have opened must be used, she said there was no such plan.
“We have given very clear guidelines that the first preference is to those in the highest-risk group, those over 60, and then to those who are under 60 and are chronically ill and also to teaching staff,” she said. She confirmed that some police officers and soldiers have received vaccinations before teaching staff because “they cannot do their jobs remotely.”
Asked how the ministry planned to combat the low rates of those getting vaccinated in the Arab community, she answered that the rate of vaccination was rising slowly, as was compliance with the lockdown regulations in this community.
In terms of epidemiological investigations, she said the focus was first on those who are confirmed as infected and only afterwards on those who are in isolation because they were in contact with someone who has the virus.
“We are doing enforcement on all communities, but people have to take personal responsibility,” she said.