The Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee on Monday met to discuss the expanded Green Pass guidelines, which went into force on Sunday.

Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, Head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry, expressed doubt regarding the efficacy of the Green Pass guidelines in reducing the infection rate.

According to her, between 180-200 new coronavirus cases each day are among Israelis returning from abroad. In addition, the number of seriously ill patients rose to 360, in comparison to the 20 seriously ill patients Israel had just one month ago. Approximately 100 Israelis died of coronavirus in the current wave, representing a significant rise in mortality.

“The numbers are doubling every ten days,” Dr. Alroy-Preis said, adding that “1.5% of the infected end up becoming seriously ill. And when the number of new cases is high, it adds up. For the sake of comparison, before the vaccines it was 3%. However, we never had a situation in which our R naught was 1.3 for several weeks.”

“No one thinks that if we use the Green Pass we will reduce the R naught to 0.8, but it’s good if we slow the plague until people get vaccinated. The Green Pass was not intended to cause people to get vaccinated.”

She added: “A lockdown is not decree from Heaven. What beats plagues is vaccines, not a lockdown. A lockdown is a tactical means. We are trying not to go there. In order for us not to go there, we need to slow the plague by using all the means we have – the Green Pass, the Purple Pass, and limiting gatherings. All of it is in order to slow the plague.”

Source: Arutz Sheva