Is Israel’s Lockdown Working?
After entering a second national lockdown nearly three weeks ago, Israel has reason to hope. The latest coronavirus results measured a 10.5% positive rate—4,682 confirmed cases out of 44,696 tests. That’s a hopeful sign for a nation that had seen its rate of positive results as high as 15.1% in late September with a one-day high of 9,053 last Wednesday. Evaluating the downward trend of positive results, Prime Minister Netanyahu said there was reason for “cautious optimism,” but he will not rush to lift the lockdown, according to The Times of Israel.
We’re seeing good signs for Israel as it tries to dispel the virus from the country. This lockdown has been especially trying, as it has directly coincided with the High Holidays of Judaism—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—and still extending into Sukkot and possibly beyond. Israelis have endured much in 2020. Though Netanyahu isn’t rushing to lift restrictions, this is certainly an encouraging sign for Israel. Hopefully this downward trend will lead to an eventual end to nationwide lockdowns and an end to coronavirus deaths in Israel’s borders going forward.
