Put on a mask
Sunday evening, Rabin Square, Tel Aviv: Two municipal police officers stood at the southern end of the square, watching people occasionally stopping and fining someone for riding an electric scooter outside of the scooter-andbike lane. Meanwhile, person after person walked by without masks on their faces, and the officers paid them no attention.
On the northern end of the square, near Tel Aviv City there were around 100 demonstrators against racism, joining in the worldwide protests in solidarity with African-Americans. Several Border Police officers sat on a nearby bench to make sure things didn’t get out of hand. The crowd was young and people stood close to one another. Some wore masks. Many did not. The police officers apparently had nothing to say about the matter.
This has become a typical scene in Israel. Stores have stopped checking customers’ temperatures upon entry, even though the rules say they still have to. People sit at their desks at work mask-free, despite being less than 2 meters away from the nearest co-worker for hours each day. Teachers get sick of telling kids all the time to put on masks and keep their distance, so they just stop doing it.
And in the meantime, the number of people with coronavirus is climbing again, schools have been shutting down, and over 17,000 students and teachers have been sent into isolation.
After a meeting of the coronavirus cabinet on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel could see the rate of infection double within 10 days.
Netanyahu said that he “decided... to hit the emergency brake” as a result of the climbing numbers, meaning that most plans to ease restrictions were put on hold.
And so, the opening of the train system was put on hold, as well as the opening of theaters and other cultural centers.
At the same time, places that were already open will not be shut down as of yet, in order not to hinder economic recovery after two months of lockdown. It is important to remember that the effects of the lockdown on people’s livelihoods and mental and physical health are just as much a factor as the risk of getting sick, and the reticence to go back to the policies of March and April is not only understandable; it is also wise at this point.
But there is still a disease to fight, so the prime minister also emphasized the basics: Wear a mask, keep a 2-meter distance, and wash hands often.
It’s good that Netanyahu – and any other public official – emphasizes those three simple rules that we can all follow. It’s also good that Netanyahu tries to make an effort to follow those rules in public, though there are far too many photos of public officials not doing the same.
And it certainly is true that if people do not take personal responsibility and the basic steps to ensure their own health, they cannot blame the government if there is a second wave of coronavirus.
But there’s one simple step the government can and should take that hardly seems to be happening: Enforce the rules. It’s not only stores that need to keep to the strict rules; it’s people.
An easy way to do that is to fine people who are not wearing masks. Once word gets out that people have to pay NIS 200 or NIS 500 if a police officer sees their bare faces, there will be far more compliance with the public health instructions.
In the meantime, when hundreds of mask-less people can walk by police officers in broad daylight with no consequences, it is incumbent on each and every one of us who cares about his or her own health and that of others to follow the rules. Our health and that of our loved ones should be enough of a carrot that we don’t need a stick.
No one wants a second wave or an escalation of the current wave. What you need to do is simple: Wear a mask, keep a 2-meter distance and wash your hands.