Netanyahu: ‘Too early to say’ if lockdown working

Netanyahu appeared to address his critics, tweeting, “I will not succumb to political pressure from either side, inside or outside the government.”

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

As coronavirus positive test rates dropped to 8.9%, the lowest numbers seen in weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the public to hold off on celebrating the end of the lockdown on Thursday.

Netanyahu made it clear on his Twitter account that he intends to err on the side of caution. Israel has been in a nationwide lockdown since the Rosh HaShanah New Year’s holiday on September 18.

The lockdown was originally scheduled to end after the Sukkot holiday on October 9, but the coronavirus cabinet and Knesset voted to extend the restrictions until October 14.

“There is cautious optimism that the quarantine is working, but it is too early to say,” wrote Netanyahu.

“There is still a long way to go and there is no room for complacency. We must all maintain the health guidelines for the trend to continue. I will continue to make the right decisions and do what is right for you, the citizens of Israel.”

Netanyahu appeared to address his critics, tweeting, “I will not succumb to political pressure from either side, inside or outside the government.”

In recent days, Finance Minister Yisrael Katz and Economy Minister Amir Peretz have pressured Netanyahu to partially lift the lockdown so that small businesses can start operating again.

Netanyahu has steadfastly refused to discuss when the country will begin exiting the lockdown, citing the rushed lifting of restrictions in April 2020 which led to widespread outbreaks of the virus.

The Health Ministry released information Thursday morning that 4,117 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, out of 48,000 tests performed.

There are 847 coronavirus patients hospitalized in critical condition, with 236 on respirators.

The number of active cases stands at 61,049. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 282,872 Israelis have contracted the virus.

The number of Israelis who have succumbed to the disease is 1,824.