Israel Prepares for the Omega Virus Arrival

The State of Israel government announced on November 11, 2021, it is conducting a drill to examine nationwide readiness for the outbreak of a new lethal COVID-19 variant.

It will consist of a senior-level, inter-organizational simulation that tests the national management of a new strain, the 'Omega' strain, that has yet to be discovered in Israel.

The drill will be conducted in the format of a war-game.
 
The exercise will be held in three sessions to simulate the passage of time between the various scenarios to simulate an actual situation. After these, a comprehensive assessment will be held during which the Prime Minister will issue instructions to all agencies for continued action.

In a press release, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett commented, "The State of Israel is in an excellent situation. We beat the fourth wave, and we are on our way toward exiting the Delta variant."

"However, at the same time, we are always looking ahead and preparing for the continuation of the campaign."

"We are not 'closing up shop."

"Neither are we closing down the management systems and the order of battle against the virus."

"On the contrary, we are continuing to hold drills and to challenge ourselves."

"While the situation of coronavirus in the world is deteriorating, Israel is safe and protected. However, to maintain this, and to safeguard the continuity of normal life, we must continue to monitor the situation closely and prepare for any scenario."

The exercise, which will be run by Defense Ministry Director of Civil Defense Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Edri, will be held at the National Management Center in Jerusalem, which is designed to manage nationwide crises.