Israeli health official resigns blasting virus response

JERUSALEM: A top Israeli health official resigned Tuesday, saying her guidance on combatting the coronavirus was being disregarded and the country´s containment efforts were “disoriented” as it faced a surging caseload. The resignation of Siegal Sadetzki, the health ministry´s director of public health services, came after Israel re-imposed several lockdown measures in an effort to curb the virus´s spread. “For a few weeks now, our compass for dealing with the pandemic has become disoriented,” Sadetzki wrote in a Facebook post announcing her decision to step down. “Despite repeated warnings in different forums, we are watching with frustration as our window of opportunity (to contain the virus) is running out,” added Sadetzki, an epidemiologist. “I´ve reached the conclusion that, in a new context where my professional opinion is not being accepted, it is no longer in my capacity to help prevent the pandemic´s spread,” she wrote. Former parliament speaker Yuli Edelstein, an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, became health minister under a coalition government sworn in in May.