In the victorious epidemic of Israel, the incidence is growing again. The Indian Delta is to blame. How serious is it?

A few weeks ago, Israel could boast of almost zero incidence. Mass vaccination with Pfizer has led to the fact that the number of those identified in the day decreased from 10 thousand at the top point in January - to 11 people at the lower June 1. And this is a population of 9.3 million people.

On June 1, the main coronavirus restrictions were lifted in the country, from June 15 it was allowed not to wear masks in closed rooms. There was only mandatory quarantine for those who arrived, which could be reduced with a positive analysis of antibodies. After three nationwide quarantines, the economy returned to almost full activity.

However, the joy of the end of the epidemic was somewhat premature, which were warned by all this time by officials of the Ministry of Health.

It breaks where it is subtle

The quarantine gateway for the time being was effective.

But the long -awaited opening of the sky and an increase in the number of countries where you can fly has led to a sharp increase in the number of traveling.

Including those returning from countries where the epidemiological situation was, to put it mildly, different.

At this time, the laboratories of express testing at the airport changed the operator. According to Hebrew, “the address was written on the wall” - the crisis was predictable.

On Friday, June 18, at the Ben-Gurion International Airport, a large influx of arrivals formed. On Friday evening, a shabbat sets in, when a religious public is forbidden to travel, public transport stops working early. All were in a hurry to get home as soon as possible. Few racks of express testing with new employees worked slowly, a traffic jam formed.

Representatives of the Ministry of Health on the spot decided that it was more dangerous to be healthy and potentially infected than to let those Israelites into the country of those who have already vaccinated. In order to reduce the load, the owners of “green passports”-those who vaccinated or illuminated from the “green countries” were missed without the PCR test to coronavirus. Once. Only 2832 people.

The very next day, the Ministry of Health realized that in this group there could be those who, perhaps, did not get sick themselves, but is a carrier of the virus.

They could bring to Israel some new strain against which the vaccine is not so effective. For a day, they found out who exactly was missed without the coronavirus test, and only then laboratory staff left the house to hold the PCR test at home.

But it was only part of the problem. A visit to the Israeli countries with a high level of epidemiological threat - Russia, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, India and Mexico - is currently prohibited under the threat of a large fine. With the exception of rare humanitarian cases to which a special commission issues permission. But if direct flights are canceled, you can fly with a transplant in a third country. It is more difficult to track it.

As a result, as the report of the Ministry of Health showed, from May 19 to June 19, the coronavirus infection in Israel, who arrived from Russia, the UAE and the United States, was most often brought to Israel.

• 31 infected arrived from Russia to Israel,

• From the UAE - 24,

• From the USA - 12,

• From France - 10,

• From Belarus - 8,

• From the UK - 6.

The Israelis who returned from the Red Countries are required to serve ten-day quarantine at the house, provided that two negative PCR tests. Foreign citizens who arrived from there are quarantine in coronais at the expense of the state. According to the current rules, those Israelis who did not vaccinate and did not ill, are also obliged to serve ten -day quarantine from another country from another country.

Self -isolation has always been one of the weak places of control. Practice has shown that the Israelis cannot rely on self -discipline. Most of them leave the house ahead of schedule, without withstanding quarantine restrictions.

At one time, the general security service (Shabak) monitored the location of cell phones to make sure that citizens are serving a deadline under home quarantine -arrest. But then this measure was considered undemocratic and canceled.

The police visited the self -speaking to make sure that those are houses. Violators were severely fined.

The size of the fine is more than tangible, 5000 shekels (111 thousand rubles). But as the disease retreat, weakened and control.

The birth of supernova

Violation of the quarantine regime led to what was most afraid of - to the import of the Indian strain in Israel. This instantly provoked a jump in the incidence, which could result in the fourth wave of the epidemic.

As early as June 20, the Ministry of Health reported 80 new infected ones per week. Already on June 21, it became known about 103 carriers of coronavirus disease - per day. Since then, this number has practically not dropped below a hundred per day.

As of Sunday morning, on June 27, 113 new infected were identified over the past day (less tests are traditionally carried out on Saturday, because statistics are not indicative), 229 on Friday, on Thursday - 228, on Wednesday - 148.

During the week, the total number of infected has grown almost four times. At the same time, the number of patients in serious condition over the past two weeks has not increased.

The government realized and began to return protective measures. It was assumed that the duty of wearing masks would return on Sunday, June 27, but in the end it was introduced two days earlier. In the Ministry of Health, they turned to hold a “pride parade” in Tel Aviv, whose participants, of course, were without masks, because there is no such requirement yet.

The government office to combat the epidemic was restored, which includes specialized ministers and the leadership of the healthcare system. In the coming days, apparently, new “tough” epidemiological restrictions will be introduced. The Ministry of Health insists on this.

“The increase in the incidence of a crown in recent days is associated with a violation of self -isolation. Fines will be increased; If it turns out that someone was in the country forbidden, the violator will pay thousands of shekels, ”the Minister of Health, Nitsan Gorovitz, said on June 23 at a plenary meeting of the Knesset in response to demands to comment on the prevailing crisis.

According to the minister, “the government acts without hysteria and panic”, it will focus on three directions: a thorough check of entering the country, tightening supervision of quarantine and stimulating adolescents to vaccination. To control the borders-ground gearbox and air at the Ben-Gurion airport-a special coordinator, Major General Roni Num, was appointed.

The Ministry of Health explained that

Israel moved away from collective immunity, to which he was already close until the outbreak of the Indian strain began. Now, to achieve it, it is necessary to vaccinate another 700 thousand people.

Starting on June 6, Israel is allowed to vaccinate adolescents from 12 to 15 years old. At first, in this age group, unlike adults, there was no high demand for vaccinations. But after a sharp increase in the incidence, the Ministry of Health published a recommendation to instill in schoolchildren in order to quickly achieve collective immunity. And then the parents began to an alarm and began to break the telephone lines of the hospital cash desks to record children for vaccination.

Do not dramatize

Professor Itamar Grotto, in the recent past, the coordinator of the government to combat the epidemic, said that not everything is so bad, because the Pfizer vaccine, which is vaccinated by the vast majority of Israelis, is effective by 88% of the Delta version. According to him, despite the increase in the number of infected, the shaft of new hospitalizations is not expected.

Dr. Darit Nitsan, regional director of WHO in emergency situations (Europe), said that although the Indian strain is more aggressive and spreads much faster than the previous options, it does not cause a severe course of the disease in those who underwent vaccination.

And in Israel there are a majority. 55% of the population are vaccinated completely, including 75% of the population over the age of 16.

The first vaccination was made by more than 59% of residents, or more than 81% of the adult population.

“Together with other countries, we better learn the nature of this option,” added Dr. Nitsan. - We see that people who are not vaccinated are more seriously ill. And those who received both doses of the vaccine, even if they are infected, the vaccine protects them from the severe course of the disease. ”

Dr. Nitsan called on those Israelis who have not yet been vaccinated, to do this for his own good. “Most adults in Israel are vaccinated, but there are a million people who, apparently, preferred not to vaccinated. This is a lot, ”she added. “They have the opportunity to undergo vaccination to protect themselves and others.”