Israelis See No Light at End of Coronavirus Tunnel

Although Israel was a world leader in the early fight against the coronavirus, warnings that for a number of reasons the tables would turn have proven to be accurate. More than 2,000 new patients were diagnosed with the disease on Wednesday, marking two weeks of daily record-setting upwards of 1,800 cases per day, and bringing the possibility of a total, indefinite lockdown ever closer. In its attempt to stem the ongoing surge in the number of those infected, the government passed a new bill in the early hours of Thursday morning, aimed at easing parliamentary oversight in its use of emergency decrees. According to the “Big Corona Law,” as it is colloquially named, the executive branch will have full powers to enact “urgent” ordinances regarding lockdowns, quarantines, etc., that will attain an immediate legal status without the need for parliamentary legislation. In other coronavirus news, weeks after promising to appoint a point-man to handle all matters pertaining to the health crisis, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced the appointment of Prof. Ronni Gamzu, CEO of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Netanyahu’s initial choice, former Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Gabi Barbash, turned the prime minister’s offer down after learning he would not be given full powers as coronavirus czar.