Some coronavirus testing sites will operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week as of Monday in order to meet the surge in demand caused by the spread of the Omicron COVID variant.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett vowed Sunday during a special press conference to find a solution to the seemingly endless queues plaguing many of the country’s coronavirus testing centers amid a dramatic uptick in COVID cases.
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An aerial view of the queue in Kfar Sava's drive-through testing complex
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
Bennett’s outline to overcome the public’s rush to the testing complexes - spurred by health officials’ predictions that the spread of the new strain will peak in the coming weeks - hinges mainly on “reducing demand", and not on expanding and reinforcing the testing centers.
"I ask everyone to show understanding and patience,” Bennett said in a press conference on Sunday.
“If there are problems, and there are - like the long queues for tests - be assured that we will take care of them.”
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Dozens of people waiting in line to get tested for COVID in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Sivan Hilaie)
"But the situation is that we have a huge amount of confirmed cases, all at once - above and beyond the reasonable capacity of the system. We are preparing to change the criteria for tests, in order to quickly reduce the heavy load,” he said.
According to a senior official in the Health Ministry, the new outline will seek to “exempt entire population groups from the need to get tested.”
And while the list of potential candidates for exemption has yet to be disclosed, it seems the ministry aims to exempt from testing all those who have been vaccinated in case of exposure to a verified patient.
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An aerial view of the queue in Netanya's drive-through testing complex
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
"It is possible we will set a criterion that only people over the age of 60 and those who have symptoms will be sent to get tested," said the source, who added that "the queues in Israel are shorter than queues abroad, but Israelis do not know how to stand in line."
Magen David Adom, meanwhile, announced it will open various new testing complexes, reinforce existing teams, and expand the complexes' working hours in order to help alleviate the loads.
"Magen David Adom is aware of the heavy loads and queues and works around the clock to reduce the waiting time," the service said.
First published: 09:41, 01.03.22