As part of the preparations for this coming winter, when Covid-19 cases are expected to rise in their rate of morbidity, the IDF’s Alon Headquarters is increasing the volume of corona samples to about 100,000 a day in the coming month. They will also double the number of daily samples decoded in Israel’s laboratories.
In addition, the Alon headquarters, established 4 months ago, is now completely constructed and is now operating at full capacity. In the transition from building to operation, dedicated teams have been set up to investigate and track “red” incidents, such as school or flight outbreaks. In less than 24 hours, officials in the Home Front Command will announce that soldiers will arrive at the infection center and that they will sample all those involved.
In order to locate undetected infection centers, the headquarters conducts inspections in ‘red’ and ‘orange’ cities as well as large factories and security offices throughout the country. This week, “Alon” soldiers will also hold sampling operations at the main bus station in Tel Aviv and at the Hof Hacarmel train station in Haifa to encourage people to come and be tested.
The Home Front Command notes that the initiated samples, together with the campaign to raise awareness in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense, are helping to open up the economy.
Public information campaigns, according to sources at the headquarters, also contributed to an increase in the number of cases reported by verified Corona patients. Through this, the ability of the headquarters to reach the people who came in contact with them, and to interrupt the chain of infection at an earlier stage, has dramatically improved. In addition, it was recently decided that the family members of the verified patients would automatically be notified to enter isolation in order to reduce the possible extent of exposure – unless proven otherwise by the government.
Today, about 40% of Corona patients report five or more contacts, and the Home Front Command explains that the next goal is to locate 18 contacts per patient. In addition, the investigations themselves, which previously lasted 4-5 days, are now completed within only 30 hours of their opening.
To improve the effectiveness of cutting the infection chains, Alon Headquarters will hold a simulated exercise in the coming month that will include various extreme scenarios, which will need to be analyzed and investigated at all levels.
“All our teams are equipped with adequate protective equipment, and we are ready for winter,” concluded a source at Alon Headquarters.