In a particularly fearsome statement made by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during a meeting of the coronavirus cabinet on Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister announced that the exit from the current lockdown will be carried out far slower than the previous one and could take place over half a year to a year.

At the meeting, Netanyahu instructed that preparations be made for extreme scenarios that may transpire this coming winter, such as treating 5,000 COVID-19 patients in serious condition simultaneously.

The prime minister told the cabinet that the lockdown should be tightened even further and that the current parameter of citizens being permitted to leave to within one kilometer of their homes be decreased.

“There is a feeling in the air that there is no lockdown,” said Transportation Minister Miri Regev. “We need to limit the distance that people can leave their homes to either 100 or 200 meters.” Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz also suggested limiting the distance to 200 meters.

Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz argued: “We are driving the public nuts with the constant changes. Leave the current regulation in effect as being one kilometer. ”

Netanyahu responded: “Don’t tell us that we are driving the public crazy. We work here based on facts and statistics, not feelings.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)