Israel will cut back its coronavirus antibody testing drive for children to focus on areas with considerable virus outbreaks, Education Ministry Director-General Yigal Slovik announced on Tuesday.
The national serological survey was supposed to include the country's nearly 1.5 million pupils between the ages of three and 12 who are not yet eligible for a coronavirus vaccine.
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Home Front Command soldier carries out coronavirus antibody test at serological testing hub in Netanya
(Photo: AFP)
Its main goal was to map out how many children have developed strong antibody protection against the pathogen after an unrecorded or latent infection, according to the ministry.
According to Slovik, testing will now be carried out only in communities that have recorded more than 10% morbidity.
Meanwhile, Ynet has learned that the Home Front Command was considering giving test results straight away instead of sending them out at a later time partly due to erroneous results that were sent to parents whose children haven't even been tested and alongside other significant disruptions.
The IDF has yet to issue a response.
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Parents and their children waiting for coronavirus antibody test at serological testing station in Petah Tikva
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Some raised concerns that antibody testing stations cause much crowding and constitute a hotbed for virus infections.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion urged the government to halt testing immediately.
"I call on the prime minister, health minister and perhaps also the education minister — stop these serological tests immediately. The tests we are performing right now are a coronavirus incubator… I have great doubts about the effectiveness of the tests, and the parents go through a lot of suffering in the process," he said.