The current state of COVID-19 in Israel

[Lurker]

It was sold as "life will go back to normal, we just need 2 weeks to get a hold on the situation".

Do you have links from anyone other than Trump? I don't remember this "back to normal" thing being a part of 99.99% of the messaging.

[Lurker]

The COVID reactions were something totally different IMHO. The videos are out there. Look them up. This is like nothing else.

Maybe. I'm not on the ground. I just don't see too many people who liked Chareidim before not liking them now.

[biobook]

חפץ חשוד isn't "snitching" it's alerting to a potential perceived danger.

There's a huge difference, this was about teaching people to be alert to deliberate terrorist acts that were meant to be disguised and kill, whereas most people who aren't 100% adherent (or perceived as not being 100% adherent to COVID-19 rules) have no intention to hurt anyone.

Intentionality isn't relevant.  A bomb can be disguised and can kill, and a person infected with covid can be "disguised" (look perfectly healthy) and can kill (transmit a fatal disease).  In both cases, Israelis were taught how to avoid a dangerous situation.

The snitching and the hate and attitude we've seen towards Charedim in Israel during COVID-19 times is definitely driven by panic.

I'm still not sure why you're using the word "panic".  "Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation..."  Which part of this definition pertains to a person who thinks that it's logical to take steps to prevent the spread of disease?

[biobook]

It was sold as "life will go back to normal, we just need 2 weeks to get a hold on the situation".

I'm wondering where you were getting your news from that you heard that message.  I definitely didn't hear it that way.  I clearly remember thinking "We're going to be staying home for the next year, maybe two," and I put in an order to amazon for a slew of books to keep me occupied.

[avromie7]

Exactly my point. It was never realistic, but now we can laugh about the government saying it would all be over in 2 weeks when only Trump said that it would soon disappear.

Maybe, but that was not what we heard from anyone else.

Do you have links from anyone other than Trump? I don't remember this "back to normal" thing being a part of 99.99% of the messaging.

Please show me any major politician (they were doing all the talking) who was clear that it would not be short term? Everyone was pushing 1 thing and 1 thing only "we just need 2 weeks" any sane person would assume that means after 2 weeks we're back to normal or close to it. Instead we had them coming up with all sorts of reasons and arbitrary requirements.

I'm wondering where you were getting your news from that you heard that message.  I definitely didn't hear it that way.  I clearly remember thinking "We're going to be staying home for the next year, maybe two," and I put in an order to amazon for a slew of books to keep me occupied.

Maybe because you were more familiar with epidemiology. The people I know all assumed 2 weeks meant 2 weeks. We were essentially told "give up 2 weeks of life as we know it to save lives".

[Lurker]

Please show me any major politician (they were doing all the talking) who was clear that it would not be short term? Everyone was pushing 1 thing and 1 thing only "we just need 2 weeks" any sane person would assume that means after 2 weeks we're back to normal or close to it. Instead we had them coming up with all sorts of reasons and arbitrary requirements.

Maybe because you were more familiar with epidemiology. The people I know all assumed 2 weeks meant 2 weeks. We were essentially told "give up 2 weeks of life as we know it to save lives".

Look through DDF starting March 16. I don't think anyone thought "2 weeks to slow the spread" meant everything was going back to normal after 2 weeks. This is revisionist history.

And FWIW, those 2 weeks DID save countless lives.

[avromie7]

Look through DDF starting March 16. I don't think anyone thought "2 weeks to slow the spread" meant everything was going back to normal after 2 weeks. This is revisionist history.

And FWIW, those 2 weeks DID save countless lives.

This is revisionist history. While we knew the virus would still be here and many were concerned that the 2 weeks was just a start, we did not fathom it would be anything close to as intense for as long as it has been. Look back, you'll see people discussing Pesach being after life goes back to normal.

[biobook]

Maybe because you were more familiar with epidemiology. The people I know all assumed 2 weeks meant 2 weeks. We were essentially told "give up 2 weeks of life as we know it to save lives".

I wasn't particularly familiar with epidemiology, though I knew a little biology.  And I liked to read about medicine.  I got most of my news from the NY Times, Google News, and DDF, though at that time I was still in my lurkitude.  Probably what influenced my thinking most was that a few years earlier I had read the book The Great Influenza, by John Barry, so I had this gut sense of how horrific a pandemic could be.  But I wasn't unusual - the book was a best seller, so lots of Americans had read it or watched the PBS documentary on the same subject. 

Where were you getting your news from?  You mention politicians, but what media was presenting them?

Look back, you'll see people discussing Pesach being after life goes back to normal.

I remember going shopping right after Purim to buy enough shelf-stable food to last us through Pesach, just in case food distribution were to shut down.   

[biobook]

This is revisionist history. While we knew the virus would still be here and many were concerned that we did not fathom it would be anything close to as intense for as long as it has been.

It was a period of great uncertainty and nobody could predict exactly what would happen.  Scientists knew what could potentially happen in a pandemic, but even they couldn't predict how politicians would behave and how people would react.

[Lurker]

This is revisionist history. While we knew the virus would still be here and many were concerned that the 2 weeks was just a start, we did not fathom it would be anything close to as intense for as long as it has been. Look back, you'll see people discussing Pesach being after life goes back to normal.

I don't think "back to normal" was on anyone's radar. People may have thought things would be a little less restrictive, but not back to normal.

(You can probably find me a handful of DDFers who thought that way, and I can show you a handful of DDFers who never thought Covid was a thing to begin with.)

[yungermanchik]

My understanding was that the goal was that after 2 weeks, anyone who had the virus would be symptomatic (as apposed to pre-symptomatic)  and they and their families would stay home and everyone else would go back to normal.

[Euclid]

(You can probably find me a handful of DDFers who thought that way, and I can show you a handful of DDFers who never thought Covid was a thing to begin with.)

This is the money shot - the Venn diagram of people that thought it was "only 2 weeks" and those who thought that Covid was the flu etc. is a single circle.

[aygart]

This is revisionist history. While we knew the virus would still be here and many were concerned that the 2 weeks was just a start, we did not fathom it would be anything close to as intense for as long as it has been. Look back, you'll see people discussing Pesach being after life goes back to normal.

All those cases of toilet paper were for 2 weeks? Did they think they would be locked down on the toilet?

[avromie7]

All those cases of toilet paper were for 2 weeks? Did they think they would be locked down on the toilet?

It was about "what if the supply chain goes crazy", not "I expect to be stuck at home for a year"

[Kobe Bryant]

Israeli Health Ministry data indicates that 80 percent of vaccinated individuals who recently contracted breakthrough infections of COVID-19 have not infected others in public places.

According to the research, the vast majority (80%) of immunized COVID-19 carriers did not spread the virus to anyone else while at concerts, restaurants, gyms or event halls, Channel 12 reported.

The data was publicized after ministers approved reinstating the “Green Pass” on Thursday, limiting attendance at large events to those who are vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19, or who present a valid negative test result.

[AsherO]

Israeli Health Ministry data indicates that 80 percent of vaccinated individuals who recently contracted breakthrough infections of COVID-19 have not infected others in public places.

According to the research, the vast majority (80%) of immunized COVID-19 carriers did not spread the virus to anyone else while at concerts, restaurants, gyms or event halls, Channel 12 reported.

The data was publicized after ministers approved reinstating the “Green Pass” on Thursday, limiting attendance at large events to those who are vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19, or who present a valid negative test result.

It'll certainly be even less likely if all the participants at such an event are vaccinated.

When they say 80% didn't, what does that say about the other 20%? Are any confirmed to have spread it further, or it simply hasn't been rules out and could be 0%

[Moshe123]

Shabbos cases again more than doubled prior week's.

[Kobe Bryant]

The daily rate of positive COVID-19 tests in Israel has risen above 2 percent for the first time since March, according to Health Ministry data published Monday morning.

There were 1,398 new cases identified Sunday among 67,676 tests, a positivity rate of some 2.07%. Additionally, 506 cases were diagnosed between midnight and 10 a.m. Monday.

This brought the number of active cases to 11,606, after the figure was around 200 less than six weeks ago.

[Moshe123]

The Health Ministry says 1,538 new coronavirus cases have been recorded since midnight, bringing the number of active infections to 12,243.

The number of serious cases leaps by 25 since midnight, hitting 121.

2 more updates to go. Might be 2k+ cases today

[Moshe123]

The Health Ministry says 1,538 new coronavirus cases have been recorded since midnight, bringing the number of active infections to 12,243.

The number of serious cases leaps by 25 since midnight, hitting 121.

2 more updates to go. Might be 2k+ cases today

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