State Comptroller: Netanyahu's government had many significant shortcomings in treating Corona

State Comptroller Netanyahu Engelman published a special report with many significant shortcomings in the treatment of the corona epidemic in the first, second and part of the third wave. Together with the then replacement prime minister, Bnei Gantz.
The Comptroller referred to the fact that the lack of a state budget harmed the government's budgetary conduct in times of crisis, to harm students following prolonged distance learning through zoom, and also to the fact that no solution was found to the issue of contagion by returning to Israel via Ben Gurion Airport. Persistent and raised significant deficiencies. We are in the fourth wave and it is important to correct the defects immediately, "he wrote.
The main criticism in the report concerns the first wave of morbidity that occurred in March to May 2020 and the second wave of morbidity that occurred in June to September 2020. Regarding those entering Israel from abroad, the audit also dealt with the third wave of morbidity from December 2020 to February 2021. The population that affected dealing with the plague, and as of August 2021 the State of Israel is experiencing a fourth wave of morbidity. The auditor dealt with 13 issues and found deficiencies in all of them.
In the first chapter, which deals with the management of the Corona crisis at the national level - decision-making processes and their implementation, the Comptroller wrote that the 34th Government did not authorize the Corona Cabinet, and that the government was not declared emergency.
It was also revealed that the decisions on the assistance of the Ministry of Defense, the presentation of alternatives to the disease forecasts and the decision on the purchase of souls during the 34th government were made in various forums headed by the Prime Minister and were not discussed in the government plenum.
After the formation of the 35th government, which was also headed by Netanyahu and the deputy prime minister was Bnei Gantz, a corona cabinet was established in which 15 ministers were members. But even here the critic found flaws. The audit found that the activities of the government and the Corona Cabinet during the second wave of illness - between July 3 and August 2 - the Corona Cabinet did not convene, and the government did not discuss measures to reduce the disease recommended by the National Hospital, although during this period there was a significant increase.
The Comptroller commented that in view of the need for quick and immediate decisions in dealing with a complex crisis, a delay in the Cabinet's decisions in July and August 2020, including the approval of the "traffic light" plan, impaired the ability to reduce morbidity on the recommendation of professional sources. This, he said, influenced the decision to impose another national closure on September 18 last year.
In addition, the comptroller wrote, the corona projector was appointed about four months after the outbreak of the corona plague in Israel and although the difficulties of the Ministry of Health in the administrative-operational areas were presented to the decision makers at the beginning of the crisis. Also, the appointment of the projector was not accompanied by a letter of appointment and a definition of powers. Hence also delayed the formulation of a plan to deal with the corona virus. The Comptroller added that the establishment of the control center in the Ministry of Health in July 2020 addressed some of the missing operational capabilities in the Ministry of Health.
The audit revealed that the treatment of entrants from abroad at Ben Gurion Airport was based on a single solution of referring 96% of the entrants (approximately 531,000 out of approximately 551,000 entrants) to home isolation in the period between April 2020 and February 2021, and this proved to be ineffective.