On Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet was holed up inside a nuclear-bomb-proof bunker as part of a Covid-19 “war game” to simulate an outbreak.
Bennett is participating in the simulation along with senior aides. He described the long-running ‘Omega Drill,’ named after a fictional virus strain, to be a precautionary measure to make sure Israel was ready for any scenario.
It was used as the “National Management Centre” to coordinate the initial response to the coronavirus, which struck March 2020.
Israel has imposed three Covid-19 waves under lockdown, but it is keeping the schools and economy open. It relies on vaccinations and booster shots to keep them in check.
Naftali Bennett, pictured at an IDF Homefront drill in 2013, describes the one-day-long “Omega Drill”, named after a fictional virus strain, as a way to make sure Israel is ready for any scenario.
Bennett’s office released a statement saying that the drill will see civilian and military leaders subject to mass testing, hospital admissions, and curfews. The exercise’s results will be made available to foreign partners.
Israel is protected and safe. To maintain that, as well as to preserve the normality of life, it is important to continue monitoring the situation closely and be prepared for all eventualities,’ he stated in the statement.
Bennett added: ‘While it is possible to wait and see what will be and to hope for the best, the right thing to do is to prepare for any scenario, and make sure that all government ministries are ready,
“That hospitals are trained to handle extreme situations and that scientists monitor every variation of the world’s population while they still have the ability.
This statement did not indicate that the government was preparing for a new deadly coronavirus strain.
The drill did not include any possible flare up in fighting with enemy among its scenarios.
This bunker was created more than a decade ago in response to concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme as well as missile exchanges between Lebanon and Gaza Strip.
On Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet (pictured) was holed up inside a nuclear-bomb-proof bunker at a Covid-19 “war game” to simulate an epidemic of a deadly new strain.