Posted on 01/05/22
| News Source: Arutz-7
The government is fearing that the number of cases in the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is even higher than the "most pessimistic forecasts", Kan 11 News reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, after the outline allowing exemption from isolation based on a test conducted at home has been presented, the government fears that tests carried out at home and which come back positive will not be reported, but says that "there is no other alternative."
In the wake of the concern about non-reporting, it was determined that workers in essential professions will be required to undergo PCR tests and a discussion with senior Ministry of Health officials will be held on Thursday on the question of whether the definitions of who are essential workers should be expanded in light of this.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance is demanding that the isolation period for verified patients be shortened from ten to seven days, in order to reduce the risk that hundreds of thousands of Israelis will be in isolation at the same time, causing damage to the economy.
The Finance Ministry is suggesting that vaccinated verified patients be able to leave isolation after seven days, provided they have not felt any symptoms in the past three days.
Earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced a new COVID-19 test outline that will take effect on Friday.
The tests will be divided into PCR for those aged 60 and over and at-risk populations, while the vaccinated will perform home antigen tests. Unvaccinated people under the age of 60 will undergo a supervised antigen test. The home tests will not be state-funded.
According to the outline, vaccinated people who test positive will be in quarantine for ten days, with the option of being discharged from it only with the approval of a doctor. Unvaccinated people will be in quarantine for a week even in the event of a negative test result, with release subject to a negative test performed on the last day of isolation.
"We are leaving the PCR tests for those who really need them. Currently we do hundreds of thousands of tests and now we are doing this separation - for the population at risk. Those who are not at risk will undergo an antigen test," he said.