Israel’s Coronavirus Roller Coaster
Israel had won the fight against Covid-19 so impressively that people doubted the disease was even real. Then came the second wave.
Israel vs. Covid-19: Part one
Israel had reason to approach the Covid-19 crisis with a certain amount of optimism. For one, it is a small country with less than 10 million citizens. It is also a youthful country, with a median citizen age of 30.5 years. Israel is also vastly experienced in emergencies. It has a world-class public health system, despite a below-average number of doctors, nurses, and beds.
It is an island — not geographically, but practically — mostly surrounded by countries that hold no diplomatic relations with it and offer no form of passage. Israel’s only entrance gate is one international airport: Ben-Gurion in Tel-Aviv. This one entrance is relatively easy to control.
The Israeli government recognized the danger of Covid-19 early on. In late January, Israel initiated an entry ban to Chinese citizens, a move that the Chinese ambassador compared to the rejection of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. During late February and the beginning of March, the virus reached Israel by way of citizens who reentered the country from abroad. Swift action was taken…
