A new Netanyahu-Gantz formula may finally reopen most schools
To head off a revolt by the “forgotten coronavirus generation,” Israel’s two prime ministers Binyamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz on Monday put their heads together and came up with a timeline for reopening the education system. Primary school grades 5-6 will be back in class in eight days’ time next Tuesday and the 11th and 12 grades a week later. The coronavirus cabinet’s consistent failure to reach a decision for rescuing the majority of the nation’s schoolchildren from remote lessons, had millions of children, parents and teachers up in arms. The timeline is expected to be approved by the ministers on Monday. To overcome the Health Ministry’s concerns about the schools as a major source of infection, systematic on-site testing for the virus is likely to be introduced.
After dropping the plan for a nationwide curfew, the cabinet is expected to approve closures for more high-infection regions, while letting the rest of the country off the hook.
Early Monday, the Health Ministry reported 613 new cases out of a total of 7,767 who are actively ill and 294 in serious condition. The number of deaths rose to 2,732.