JERUSALEM (JTA) — Thousands of students in Jerusalem and other cities across the country were sent home Monday to isolation after staff and students were found to have COVID-19.
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Schools in Israel began opening more than two weeks ago after isolating for nearly two months due to the coronavirus.
Students from some 35 schools and kindergartens in Jerusalem, Hadera, Ashdod and Beersheba were officially diagnosed with the coronavirus. Some schools completely shut down, others announced that they will reopen in several days.
As of Monday morning, more than 4,500 students and 734 staff members across the country were sent to quarantine, according to the Education Ministry.
One school in the northern Israeli city of Hadera, for example, sent 2,180 students and teachers into isolation after one student was diagnosed with the deadly virus. The school was temporarily shut down. The Gymnasia Rehavia high school in Jerusalem has had over 130 students and staff members diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Israel in recent days has seen a steep increase in the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The increases come as Israel continues to relax restrictions that were put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including opening up workplaces, schools and malls.
On Sunday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told the Cabinet at its weekly meeting that there was a fivefold increase of Israelis who tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day alone.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night that the coming days would be “a test to see if there is a change in trend that would require a change of policy,” such as closing education institutions.
“One school in the northern Israeli city of Hadera, for example, sent 2,180 students and teachers into isolation after one student was diagnosed with the deadly virus.”
Its important to remember that “one student” out of 2,180 was found to have the virus.
“The Gymnasia Rehavia high school in Jerusalem has had over 130 students and staff members diagnosed with the coronavirus.”
In this high school, the virus was brought in by one super spreader , a” staff member”. Kids did NOT spread it from one to another.
The alleged big risk with reopening schools are that children are not responsible enough to social distance and things will spread quickly. If its adults we are concerned about, then you’d need to worry about that with many reopend businesses like nail polishing and hair saloons. (Say one worker infects the staff and all its businesses). Once you ready to assume that risk, schools are not risker.
Kids can contact the disease but the data shows they are not spreaders. This is as per Emily Oster on WNYC.
Furthermore, kids themselves who get the disease don’t have a higher mortality rate than kids with the flu nor re there symptoms more severe I think the evidence of thats blanality blaring and obvious however, there is data to support that as well.
Phineas before you get excited and hyper over a few bad instances read up on “facts”. Don’t get stuck in news cycle half facts sound bites. (You did that the other day when you listed all states that had an uptick and i proved that it was a lie. All the charts had a downward slope. They had one day upticks. Nice news sound bites but nothing therein). Just be careful and make sure you state facts.
Bottom line is, like with anything noone will say the risk is 0.00000% but put things into context. Is it that dangerous for kids to get the disease? Are kids spreading it to their familes and others? Is the curve so low already? Didn’t 75% have it already?Are other businesses open? It seems like thats not the case in israel. Does that mean open schools like before? No of course you monitor and contain things. I don’t advocate a free for all. (altough it may be safer than the looters and lunnes rioting in the street). Lets not freak out and get all crazy over a few isolated minor instances