COVID-19 Deaths Reach Record Levels

The High Holidays in Israel had an abrupt, and deadly, ending, as COVID-19 cases and deaths have rose to record levels as Israel experiences its 2000th death in the fight against the disease. Now, Israel’s average death per capita has surpassed the global average, Israel’s hospital system is overloaded with some even closing their doors to new patients, and government officials are debating an extension to the lockdown. 

“These days we are at war on a completely different battlefield...we were caught unprepared...and the price will be the heavy cost of life” said Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz, while comparing the fight against COVID-19 to the Yom Kipper War. The claim is only highlighted by the fact that the number of deaths in the last few weeks have made up almost half of the country’s total death count of over the course of the entire pandemic.

As of now, the original lockdown has been extended until this upcoming Sunday, and under the new health regulations, Israelis must continue to stay within one kilometer of their homes and only essential businesses are permitted to open. In a recent statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu went so far as to say that a complete relaxation of lockdown protocols could take as long as a year. However, there is opposition in the Knesset to extended lockdown procedures by members who are fearful of the economic toll of a prolonged lockdown and those members are currently fighting for a faster re-opening process, but that can only happen if infection numbers decrease significantly.