COVID-19: Israel opts for 'soft suppression' as delta variant of coronavirus hits

Israel was the first country in the world to declare itself COVID-free, but nearly three months after it abandoned all its mask and social distancing rules, the Jewish state is once again hammered by respiratory infection. Despite a swift vaccination drive, Israel registered its first case of delta variant last month and the infection has since then surged. According to the latest tally by Worldmeters, Israel has reported 847,108 COVID positive cases, out of whom 6,439 have died while 836,046 have recovered. 

As the cases continue to rise, the newly appointed Prime minister Neftali Bennet has opted for a policy of what he calls ‘soft suppression’. The policy, which aims to stall a fourth coronavirus lockdown in the already staggering economy, urges Israelis to learn to ‘live with the virus’. The policy of soft suppression involves minimum restrictions needed to strike a balance between managing COVID and the economy. 

"Implementing the strategy will entail taking certain risks but in the overall consideration, including economic factors, this is the necessary balance," Bennett said last week.

Maintaining routine

Bennett’s strategy of opening the economy amidst a delta surge, meanwhile, has drawn comparisons from that of the UK government. However, while the British administration is lifting all restrictions, Israel has allowed some restrictions to stay in place. The curbs that have been reinstated include the mandatory wearing of face masks indoors and quarantine for all people arriving in the country. Israel's last lockdown was enforced in December, about a week after the start of what has been one of the world's fastest vaccination programs.

Late in June, Israel reinstated its indoor mask rule as it reported a Delta variant surge that infected nearly 50 percent of the country’s vaccinated population. In a major setback for the world’s most vaccinated country, the health officials said that more than half the cases of the novel coronavirus were breakthrough infections. Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, quoted the director-general of Israel's health ministry saying that those who had come in contact with the vaccinated people infected with the hypervirulent delta variant will now have to quarantine for at least 14 days, mandatorily. 

Image: AP