(Jerusalem, Israel) — April has been a bitter month, but there are signs of hope.
- Worldwide, nearly three million people have contracted COVID-19.
- Of these, 203,332 people have died as of Sunday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
- One in four were in the U.S., which tragically has seen some 54,265 deaths.
- The economic toll has been devastating, and social and political pressure is building on governments to re-open society rather than risk total economic collapse.
That said, Israel is faring far better than most countries — indeed, one might say it is leading the league in terms of containing the virus and saving lives.
Compare, for example, Israel and Belgium.
- Both countries are small.
- Israel has a population of 9.2 million.
- Belgium has a population of 11.5 million.
- Yet Israel’s COVID-19 death toll is 200.
- By contrast, Belgium’s death toll is 7,094.
Why does is Israel’s death toll 35 times smaller than Belgium’s? An analysis published this morning by The Jerusalem Post notes the reasonis in large part because Israel’s government responded to the threat much faster, imposing an escalating series of ever-tighter lockdowns, quarantines, business closures and restrictions on social interaction than Belgium or most other countries.
Based on the early trends experts were seeing, if Israel hadn’t acted fast, “today we’d have over 600,000 people [sick], over 10,000 on ventilators, and many thousands who would have ended their lives,” noted Moshe Bar Siman-Tov, director-general of Israel’s Health Ministry, specifically comparing the situation with Belgium.
Consider another comparison.
- The State of Georgia in the U.S. has a population of some 10.6 million, also making it comparable in size to Israel.
- Yet as of Friday, Georgia had 907 deaths from COVID-19, four and a half times greater than Israel.
Thank God, the number of recoveries in Israel is growing. The number of Israelis on ventilators is dropping. The crisis isn’t over, but authorities believe they’ve been successful in containing it. Therefore, they’re beginning to allow a growing number of sectors of society to re-open, and preparing for a full reboot of the economy, even requiring masks and other protective measures and closely monitoring the situation to guard against new spikes.
Please continue praying:
- for all those who are suffering in Israel, the U.S. and all over the world that the Lord would heal and comfort them
- for all those who have lost a loved one, that the Lord would comfort them
- for all those struggling with fear and anxiety to turn to the Lord for comfort and the Bible for answers
- for protection and strength for all health care workers and first responders
- for wisdom for our national leaders to know how best to contain/defeat the virus
- for pastors to continue teaching the Word of God with clarity and compassion, and to know how best to minister to people with church doors closed
- for all those who have lost their jobs and all who are struggling financially, and for the economy to recover quickly
- for The Joshua Fund team to have both the wisdom and financial resources to continue investing in, strengthening and encouraging vital ministries in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the neighboring Arab countries
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