Wow- a 9 page resignation letter from Israel’s chief epidemiologist! Israel's top public health official resigned Tuesday, claiming leaders ignored her warnings and reopened the country too quickly — driving a new surge of #COVID19 cases. npr.org/sections/coron…
2) "Unfortunately, for the last few weeks, the compass handling the pandemic lost its direction," Sadetzki wrote. "We've watched with frustration as the hourglass of possibilities has run out. On this basis I reached the conclusion that...”
3) “under the new conditions in which my professional opinion is not accepted — I can no longer assist with an effective response to curb the spread of the virus."
Here is Israel’s epidemic curve meantime:
Here is Israel’s epidemic curve meantime:
4) “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had declared victory over the pandemic in May and encouraged Israelis to go out and "enjoy yourselves." Several weeks of post-pandemic euphoria washed over the country as it reopened schools, restaurants and beaches.”
5) “(Officials shut schools where virus cases were detected.) During the peak springtime wedding season, wedding venues were allowed to host up to 250 guests.”
6) “Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are also facing a spike in infection rates, mostly blamed on wedding and funeral gatherings, with at least 5,000 confirmed cases and 21 deaths.”
7) “The Palestinian Authority imposed a five-day lockdown on Friday, blocking movement and closing most businesses. On Tuesday, it extended the lockdown by an additional five days and banned all weddings and gatherings.”
8) Key passage of her resignation letter: “[Israel’s chief epidemiologist] blamed the latest wave in large part on Israel's swift reopening of schools in May and wedding venues in June.” #covid19
