CORONAVIRUS CAN’T QUELL TURNOUT
Quarantined Israelis arrive at a specially designated polling stations designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus in Jerusalem yesterday.
More than 70% of the 5,600 citizens who were placed under quarantine due to fear of possible exposure to the coronavirus turned out to vote on Monday at special polling stations set up to allow them to safely cast their ballots.
Sixteen special booths were originally set up across the country and were scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. But long lines and frustrated voters led the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to open additional booths in Kfar Saba and Tel Aviv and to extend voting time until 7 p.m.
Israelis in quarantine were asked to come to the stations in private vehicles and not to stop on the way. When they completed voting, they were asked to return straight home.
The voters were met by trained paramedics dressed in full head-to-toe protective gear, including gloves and masks. Votes were collected in a specially lined ballot box and were to be counted by election officials also dressed in protective gear.
“MDA volunteers enlisted for the mission, operating at the special polling stations, and will be protected at the highest level, with dedicated anti-infection kits,” said MDA director-general Eli Bin. “Magen David Adom works in full cooperation and coordination with the Health Ministry, the Central Elections Committee and other parties, and will continue to do everything possible to assist in the national effort of preventing the spread of the coronavirus in Israel.”
When voters arrived, their identity cards were verified and then they were given a mask and a pair of gloves. Their ballot was handed to them in a clear plastic envelope with a disposable pen.
Voters were asked to clean their hands with sanitizer and then wear the gloves throughout the voting process.
Booths were partitioned so that CEC staff did not come in contact with the voters but could speak to them through a clear, heavy plastic window.
“I want to reassure the public and call again to the citizens of Israel: Vote without fear of the coronavirus,” Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman said Monday morning. “The coronavirus is under control and the Health Ministry is the only one authorized to update the country on the issue.”
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu echoed the health minister’s statement.
“You don’t have to worry about voting due to the coronavirus, this is all nonsense,” he said on Monday during one of his many Facebook live chats in which he was calling on Likud voters to go to the polls.
But the voters who are suspected of coming in contact with the potentially lethal disease did not take their situation lightly. Early Monday morning, one Israeli took a megaphone and screamed “do not treat us like lepers” as he approached the special booth in Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood.
A young man who returned from Thailand told The Jerusalem Post’s sister paper, Maariv, that, “It feels bad and I think the panic is too excessive.” He said he was considering returning home because he was number 430 in line to vote, and number 360 was currently voting.
“It takes forever here,” he said. “I did not go to my usual polling station for fear of contaminating others.”
But he said he also enjoyed the fresh air, which he lacked after a week in isolation.
“I do not think I pose a risk to anyone,” another voter told Maariv. “This situation is delusional, I will vote and come home. I think this all got a little blown out of proportion.”
Amir Cohen, vice president of Radio 103, recently returned from Thailand as well. He said that, “I hope this is an experience that we will remember for years... and that we can laugh about it in the near future.”
All Israelis who returned from trips to Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Italy are being required to self-quarantine in their homes for 14 days.
So far, 12 Israelis have tested positive for the coronavirus, and MDA has taken samples from 942 people who are quarantined.
On Sunday night, a direct flight from Italy landed in Israel carrying 20 Israeli passengers. All of them entered the country and went directly into quarantine, according to the Population and Immigration Authority. At the same time, four non-citizens attempted to enter Israel through Ben-Gurion Airport but were turned away.
Since last Thursday, 1,683 Italian citizens have left the country.
JTA and Maariv contributed to this report.