Some two weeks into his new position as the country’s coronavirus commissioner, Ronni Gamzu appears to be getting things done, even if doing so puts him at odds with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Reports have run rampant that Netanyahu and National Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat have opposed many of Gamzu’s proposals, preferring more stringent measures, including lockdowns, to contain the pandemic.
Anonymous ministers have criticized Gamzu’s initial steps since he took over the reins, with one telling Army Radio: “Gamzu now has to deal with the real numbers and he seems a little at a loss,” and another labeling his plans as “empty slogans and broad principles without any concrete proposal.”
Whether or not Netanyahu is attempting to undermine his “corona czar,” what’s clear is that until now, he has kept the management of the crisis close to his vest. He rejected then-defense minister Naftali Bennett’s comprehensive plan, whose main points were ultimately adopted months later. And he hesitated for months before being forced to create Gamzu’s position, which was originally offered to former senior health official Gabriel Barbash, who initially accepted but then turned down the offer when he was not promised full authority and independence.
Despite the power struggles that appear to still be taking place, Gamzu has been able to make some inroads. During a long, heated coronavirus cabinet meeting on Wednesday, decisions were made to cancel the weekend restrictions that had been put into place, thus enabling stores to stay open and parks to be accessible to families.
The cabinet also approved Gamzu’s plan for an increased intervention model in “red” cities. As the Post’s Maayan Hoffman reported, 22 red and amber cities will face increased oversight, and families with a sick person will be assisted with being quarantined.
But perhaps the most encouraging development was the decision to work toward partially reopening air travel on August 16. According to the plan, from that date Israelis returning home from “green” countries with low infection rates will not be required to enter 14 days of self-isolation.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi were tasked to work with Gamzu to formulate a detailed plan that would also answer outstanding questions like what constitutes a “green” country and whether foreign passport holders from those countries will be allowed into Israel.
Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir praised the decision, saying “This is important news for the aviation sector and all Israelis. Opening the skies is a necessary step toward the recovery of the Israeli economy and rehabilitating the tourism industry and its employees, who have suffered a mortal blow following the crisis.”
The skies need to open, but, for the open skies plan to work, so much more needs to be done. Time is of the essence. There needs to be a fast tracking of the plan by the Airports Authority to issue a tender for the establishment of a private laboratory within the airport.
To ensure safety and that there won’t be another spike in infections due to travelers arriving, mass testing stations must immediately be set up at Ben-Gurion Airport. It’s not a far-fetched pie-in-the-sky dream – testing stations are already in use in Germany.
Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion, passengers would be directed to one of about 100 testing stations, and within 15 minutes, would be allowed to leave the airport for temporary self-isolation. Results would come through no more than 12 hours after the passengers have left the airport.
False negatives are possible for those carrying the virus but not yet showing symptoms. Still, airport testing can help slow the spread. If implemented properly and accurately, a 14-day self-isolation would become superfluous – which is the main objective and vital to the reopening of the skies and helping return the country toward a normal economy. To be safe, the country could require a follow-up test after just three to four days in isolation.
The sooner the government crystallizes the open skies plan and fills in the details, the sooner Israel can begin to inch down the runway toward a takeoff for the grounded travel and tourism industries.