Clarity is needed to contain the coronavirus crisis

The government cannot be blamed for the existence of the deadly disease, but it can be judged by the way it handles it.

By JPOST EDITORIAL
People walk next to closed shops on Jaffa Street in downtown Jerusalem on September 24, 2020, during a nationwide lockdown (photo credit: YONATHAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
People walk next to closed shops on Jaffa Street in downtown Jerusalem on September 24, 2020, during a nationwide lockdown
(photo credit: YONATHAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
The country is paying a heavy price for the current mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis: The numbers of infected are increasing so rapidly that Israel is now among the worst in the world – if not the worse – in per-capita terms. The number of fatalities, too, is climbing ever higher. Every one of these deaths, whatever age, religion or medical background, is a tragedy to the surviving friends and families, and a loss to society as a whole.
The economic costs are also spiraling out of control as more people are being fired or put on unpaid leave, more businesses are closing, and more independently employed people are finding that their incomes have all but ceased, leaving them with little hope for the future.
The economic costs of the pandemic can also be deadly, with stress leading to heart attacks, strokes, domestic violence and suicides. Add to this the social costs. Israeli society is being pulled apart, sector pitted against sector, demonstrators against worshipers, and the haves against the have-nots.
The government cannot be blamed for the existence of the deadly disease, but it can be judged by the way it handles it. Right now, that is a big “F” for “Fail.”
Decisions are being taken hastily, influenced by sectoral lobbies, often only to be reversed after a few hours. That National Coronavirus Project head Ronni Gamzu, who was brought on board specifically to serve as an overall policy adviser and coordinator, spoke out against the drastic lockdown measures that were accepted by the corona cabinet last week does not help.
Although the general public understands that the disease is rapidly spreading, it does not understand the measures being taken to tackle it. How are local hotels, reliant on domestic tourism, closed while Israelis are free to travel to hotels in Greece and elsewhere? Local hotels and restaurants and other places that have been compliant with “purple tag” anti-COVID19 regulations are suffering from a blow that might be financially fatal.
Why is swimming in the sea not considered as safe as jogging in the park? The public, which has been asked to self-isolate for even the faintest chance that they might have come in touch with a corona carrier, sees the leadership – the prime minister, alternate prime minister and others – traveling abroad and returning without entering quarantine or merely entering minimal isolation. All this erases public trust and the sense of solidarity.
Looking ahead, what is the exit plan from the second closure? How will businesses – those that survive – return to work? How will schoolchildren and kindergarten children learn, and how will their parents be able to work? How will doctors and medical facilities handle patients who might be skipping essential diagnostic tests and treatment because of the fear of corona?
What is being done to ensure that the elderly and the homebound do not suffer from debilitating loneliness, which can itself affect mental and physical health? What kind of financial compensation can businesses and private individuals expect to receive?
There is not only the need for a clear plan, there is a need for an appointed spokesperson to present and explain it. These are times of desperate uncertainty. The public is not convinced that the government has a plan or that it is dedicated to tackling the disease free of political and personal considerations.
Right now, people need to receive clear directions. It is hard to abide by regulations that are constantly changing and whose clauses are unclear. Indeed, it is often uncertain what is a regulation and what is a recommendation.
It has been pointed out in this paper that an authoritative voice is required, much as then-IDF Spokesman Nachman Shai gave clear and calming directives during the First Gulf War while Iraqi missiles rained down on the country. Free of political associations, the current IDF Spokesman could be mobilized for this purpose. It is also essential to ensure that the message and regulations reach the non-Hebrew-speaking sectors of society, including Arabic-speakers and Yiddish-speaking ultra-Orthodox, with the explanations culturally attuned.
Coronavirus will be with us for a long time yet. The country must reduce the immediate figures of infected and prepare for living in the shadow of the disease. Just as the nation does not grind to a halt in times of war, we must look ahead.
The mixed messages must end. Now is the time for clarity – clarity that will enable all Israeli citizens to pull together and help save lives.