Following the criticism by cabinet ministers and the resignation of Minister Litzman, hospital administrators who attended today’s cabinet meeting also argued that a full closure is not necessary at this stage.

The director of Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem said that a closure was not the solution, while the deputy director general of Sheba Hospital emphasized that there was no danger of the health system collapsing.

The director of Rambam Hospital in Haifa also agreed, saying that the coronavirus morbidity numbers are rising, but not on the scale of a collapse.

The director of Beilinson Hospital said the trend has indeed changed since mid-August but the potential collapse of the hospitals is not an issue. He said there is unnecessary anxiety and a full closure is not required.

During the meeting, Minister Yuli Edelstein was furious at the attempts to dissolve the outline of the closure approved by the Corona Cabinet.

“I want it to be clear – apart from cosmetic changes, I will not allow negotiations on the plan. I say clearly at the beginning of the discussion – if the plan is not accepted I will withdraw it and not bring alternative plans.”

“The corona is neither a political matter nor a matter of populism. It is a matter of life and death. I suggest to anyone who claims otherwise, to do tours of the hospitals, corona wards, and see the situation,” Edelstein said.

Header: A technician carries out a diagnostic test for coronavirus in a lab at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv on August 3, 2020. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Source: Arutz Sheva