Naftali Bennett at the cabinet meeting
(Photo: Alex Gamburg)
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Cabinet meeting, this morning
(Photo: Emil Salman)
Bennett made the remarks in response to a question from Aliyah and Absorption Minister Pnina Temano Sheta, after the health ministry said that none of the new patients verified for Omicron had been hospitalized. “On what basis will we go for restrictions?” Temanu Sheta asked, and Minister Amar Bar-Lev also joined. Representatives of the Ministry of Health said that on the face of it the micron is more contagious but less aggressive, but it is still impossible to know.
“The corona is not my personal problem, it is the responsibility of us all,” Bennett and intelligence minister Elazar Stern told him the withdrawal from the green mark in the malls was a mistake. “We reached an agreement on an outline in the malls and then under pressure from several telephones, ministers fled,” the prime minister claimed. Minister Farkash HaCohen stressed that the move was legally complex, and Bennett replied: . Whoever succumbs to public pressure in Corona, in the end severely harms the public. I told them that in a week they would speak completely differently, but then it would be too late. “
At the cabinet meeting, in addition to the restrictions, the ministers also discussed adding new countries to the list of red states. The Committee for the Classification of Countries in the Ministry of Health has recommended that the governments declare Italy, the United States, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey as red states. ), Subject to the approval of the Knesset’s Constitution Committee.
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The Prime Minister arrives at the cabinet meeting
(Photo: Emil Salman)
These countries will be added to the existing countries in the list of red countries: Uganda, Seychelles, Angola, UAE, Eritrea, Ireland, Ethiopia, Aswatini, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Benin, UK, Ghana, Gabon, Djibouti, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau. , Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Denmark, South Africa, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazville), Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Tanzania, Liberia, Lesotho, Lesotho, Lesotho Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi, Norway, Nigeria, Niger, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Saint Helena (UK), Spain, Finland, Chad, France, Comoros, Cape Verde, Kenya, Cameroon, Reunion (France), Rwanda, Sweden.
Following the dismissal of the director general of the Ministry of Education, Yigal Slovik, at a cabinet meeting today, Bennett praised the work of the Ministry of Education and the cooperation between him and the Ministry of Health in the vaccination campaign. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz also expressed satisfaction Prepare for childhood vaccines, and that their extent depends on the manpower allocated to the subject and the consent of the parents.
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Bennett praised the collaboration in children’s vaccines in schools
Bennett referred to the fact that there is not enough mobility for vaccines, that there is a manpower shortage, and mentioned that HMO infrastructure is spread all over the country and parents can take their children to get vaccinated there. Bennett also presented an intention to include public health nurses (Natalie) in the vaccination campaign in schools, given the lack of mobility and the need to designate them for shopping centers and other places.
Bennett also asked ministers to refrain from attending mass events, saying he himself intends to reduce his public appearances. “I have an immediate request,” he said. “Naturally with the decline of the delta we have loosened discipline. I ask every minister to conduct himself tightly with masks and to avoid crowded encounters,” the Prime Minister asked.
During the meeting, the ministers approved authorizing the Ministerial Committee for Legislation to amend the law that would allow the state to oblige those who are not vaccinated to pay for isolation hotels. Some of the ministers proposed in the debate to charge a fee also for tests of children under the age of 12 who are not vaccinated, and Bennett replied that this is a good idea. Minister Farkash HaCohen proposed applying a green label to all non-essential stores, a fee for each test over the age of 5, and a temporary green label to vaccinators in one dose for one month to strengthen protection against the virus. Minister Bar-Lev proposed extending the green label to pharmacies, malls and supermarkets as well.
Earlier, at the start of the meeting, Bennett said: “I have an immediate request. Everyone naturally the delta has faded so we have loosened discipline and it is natural. We are all. It is a true story. Everyone in his sector. I ask every minister in his conduct “Avoid crowded meetings. The next cabinet meeting will be held in the Great Place (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).” From now on, government meetings will be held in the Great Foreign Ministry Hall – where the meetings took place during the previous corona waves. What Bennett probably does not know, however, is that the Foreign Ministry staff committee has declared a labor dispute and does not intend for these meetings to go smoothly – and is planning loud demonstrations and surprises.
To date, 175 verified to Omicron have been identified in Israel. 113 of the nationals who returned from South Africa, England, France, USA, UAE, Hungary, Italy, Namibia, Tanzania, Germany, Morocco, Spain, Serbia, Belgium, Cyprus and Turkey. 31 more nationals are contacts of returnees from South Africa, England, USA and France. In addition, there are 17 infected in the community (i.e. – unrelated to any recurrence from abroad), and another 14 in testing.
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Passengers at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Transport Minister Merav Michaeli said he would not support further restrictions until assistance to the airlines was arranged. “We are abandoning thousands of workers who make a living from it. When there is no Knesset settlement today and there is nothing else to support them. This is an essential workforce and airlines are a service that the State of Israel must maintain. It has already been learned that British Airways has announced the cancellation of its flights to Israel from tomorrow, who if not the Israeli airlines will fly all Israelis home overseas? I demand that the assistance to the companies be arranged this week. “
Of the 175 verified, 53 are unprotected and 122 are protected – that is, vaccinated in a third or second dose in the last six months or recovering – and for one the situation is unknown. As mentioned, there is a high suspicion of another 380 cases of exposure to the Omicron variant, 211 of which have returned from abroad, 46 contacts of returning from abroad and another 123 in the community. Of the total verified and high suspicion, a total of 555, there are 229 who suffer from symptoms and 325 without symptoms. Another one in the testing process.
Knesset Director General Gil Segal ordered a series of new restrictions at noon following the spread of the virus in the Mishkan, including seven cases of infection suspected as omicron. Due to this, the CEO has canceled all tours coordinated through the Visitor Center, and also planned events will be zoomed in and in the presence of up to five participants in a closed space.
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The Knesset Plenum
(Photo: AFP)
In addition, the staff wanted to be more careful about wearing masks throughout the Mishkan, and stated that the entry of non-MKs into the plenum would be reduced by 50%. And the synagogue will be limited to 20 worshipers at a distance of two meters from each other.
In Jerusalem, they received reports that at least 13 people had been verified in Corona at the Israel House in New York, where the Israeli consulate in the city, the delegation to the UN, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Economy are located. Of Zamir, Maya Wertheimer brought up a story about her husband being isolated for 3 days and waiting for the test results.
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He too contracted corona. Consul in New York Assaf Zamir
(Photo: Hadar Yoavian)
Israeli workers in the building said that “there is a lot of contagion and workers are afraid to come to the offices and are hysterical.” According to them, the situation at the consulate is a representative sample of what is happening in New York in general. Following the outbreak of Beit Yisrael in New York, it will move to capsules for a week starting tomorrow.
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