After Claiming ‘Best at Beating COVID’ Title, Israel Struggles to Regain Control

When the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Israel’s quick and decisive counterattack brought it international recognition for its actions and a relatively early transition into a post-COVID era that bears some resemblance to pre-COVID life. But the nation’s leadership is visibly shaken by the new spikes and presence of the delta variant over the past week. Most notable is the number of deaths – albeit still very small – following days of zero deaths. The latest alterations in procedure came on Tuesday when the Corona Cabinet reduced the period of quarantine for arriving travelers from 10 to seven days, assuming a PCR test returns a negative result. Further measures are being debated.