Did Schools Cause Israel’s Second Wave?

As the U.S. debates a return to in-person education, observers are closely monitoring the situation in other countries that have reopened their schools.

Many countries that have reopened campuses are doing alright, and they offer a lesson for the U.S. on best practices. But as time goes on, there are cautionary tales emerging too.

Israel is grappling with another wave of coronavirus infections after initially bringing virus levels under control. And this wave appears to be worse than the first. The increase in weekly COVID-19 cases in Israel represents one of the largest weekly increases in the world. 

It’s not clear whether Israel’s outbreak stems from the rapid reopening of schools or the reopening of its economy at large. Some epidemiologists, such as Eric Feigl-Ding, have pointed to schools as a likely culprit.

Israel school epidemic. “Two weeks after Israel fully reopened schools, a COVID-19 outbreak sweeping through classrooms — including at least 130 cases at a single school — has led officials to close dozens of schools where students & staff were infected.” https://t.co/watDDuTvMu— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) July 2, 2020

Read more at Times of Israel.