For those who didn't listen to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's press conference on Sunday night, or simply don't know the seriousness of the situation, the events of the past few days have proven beyond all doubt - the Omicron variant is already here.
The more advanced, contagious, and vaccine-resistant strain of COVID-19 is already spreading across Israel in the same way the previous variants did, after hundreds of infected Omicron carriers returned from vacations overseas despite government warnings to avoid unnecessary travel.
Dozens have already been infected, and now it's only a matter of time - only a few weeks at best - until the morbidity rate skyrockets yet again.
Those who chose to live in denial, and perhaps take comfort in the optimistic forecasts that have no concrete scientific bases, will lose precious time.
Israel might have managed to delay the outbreak of the fifth virus wave spurred by the variant, but at this point the chances of significantly slowing down the spread are very low, even if the government imposes stricter restrictions on movement. The Omicron numbers will double themselves in the next few days, and then will double themselves again in the next few days after that, and so on.
For now, there are still many questions regarding the variant, to which we don't have answers to. It is still unclear whether it can cause serious illness or whether it affects different populations, such as children or the elderly, in different ways.
All these questions will be answered sooner than later, but what's already known about this variant according to world data, is enough to justify the panic: It's highly contagious, much more contagious than the Delta variant, vaccines aren't fully efficient against it, and it probably can harm immunity of those who recently recovered from the pathogen.
These features of the variant require us to manage our risks with extreme caution. At the national level, Bennett made admirable efforts in order to prevent the Omicron outbreak by banning foreign travelers from entering the country.
If only the rest of the politicians will understand what is really important at this time, and put on hold the political power struggles that turn any initiative into a circus, perhaps we can finally get enough time and energy in order to prepare the country for what is yet to come.
First and foremost, we must reinforce the health care system with equipment and better budgets, to increase its readiness for the fifth COVID wave.
Next is the education system, which is accountable for the health and well-being of millions of students, but has yet to prepare in a proper way to a life alongside COVID. This system must urgently adjust for a long and nerve-racking battle.
In the next two weeks, hundreds of thousands of students must be vaccinated in schools, air-filtration systems in classrooms must be installed immediately, coronavirus testing performed by the education system must be expanded and remote learning must undergo technological advancement.
Every minute is crucial for the function of the education system, and the government must do whatever it can to assist it.
But the burden to fight the pandemic lies not only with the government, but also with every single Israeli citizen. Each of us has a responsibility to contribute to the general effort. Given the size of the current threat, we all must stop being indifferent in order to protect ourselves and those around us.
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Parents and kids gather around a school entrance, not wearing any masks or keeping distance
(Photo: Adit Mizrahi)
Unfortunately, there's no big news here. The same tools we've had over the last few months are the same tools we have today. First of all, we must get vaccinated, even if the vaccine is weaker against Omicron, it's still the most effective tool we have to protect ourselves from the virus.
Second - masks! Use the best masks you can afford to buy, and when you're with strangers, don't take them off your face. That way, reduce your risk of getting infected and infecting others.
Don't wait for the country to do the work for you and tell you how to behave, forget about the Green Pass and other COVID restrictions, and do yourself a favor, give up spending time in places with large crowds. Work from home, if possible, maintain isolation if you're required, and make sure to perform a COVID test if you're not feeling well.
When the fifth wave reaches its peak, imagine what you'll be expecting if you'll need treatment at a hospital that is already overcrowded with thousands of other seriously ill patients, and think carefully before you chose to ignore the guidelines and restrictions.