JAKARTA - A family of four is thought to have caused the country's largest Omicron outbreak to date as they chose not to self-isolate after returning from a trip to South Africa.
The Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) family from Jerusalem, consisting of husband and wife and two children known as the 'P Family' recently returned to Israel from South Africa.
Provisions in Israel, when returning from a red country, a traveler is required to undergo a PCR test at the airport then check-in to a corona virus quarantine hotel, until a negative result is obtained. Then, they can sign a contract that allows them to complete their isolation at home.
The family followed the first part of the procedure, testing negative on their return to Israel. However, a few days later, when they were supposed to be self-isolating at home, they weren't. Instead, parents go to work and children go to school and preschool.
A few days after they were not isolated, the family was retested. While it's not clear why, this is likely because they are starting to experience symptoms. They all tested positive. Even so, they continue to work as usual in society.
And, they infected more than a dozen people. Now, there is a major outbreak of at least one Jerusalem school, most likely linked to the P Family, although this is still unconfirmed.
On Thursday, the Evelina de Rothschild Elementary School for girls Jerusalem said, 62 students tested positive for COVID-19, all students will move to distance learning to help stop the chain of infection. Two additional teachers tested positive.
And, this is where things get more complicated.
Nearby, a 15 year old boy tested positive for COVID-19 and his parents were contacted by Alon Headquarters Home Front Command so they could trace the chain of infection, as per records, the young man had been abroad in South Africa.
However, when the tracker called the family, they lied to them and said the boy was not overseas, refusing to take part in the investigation.
But, the parents took the risk, they caught the virus from their son - meaning all three members of their nuclear family are now sick with COVID. Of course, that also doesn't stop them from going about their business.
The teenager's mother worked at the Jerusalem seminary and now there are at least 15 sick girls at the school as well. One cannot say for sure if the mother infected the student, but the chances are high.
And this is where it all comes together, the 15 year old boy is the brother of one of the two parents of the P Family who went overseas. That is, they are all close relatives.
The seven people are carriers of the Omicron variant and there are 22 other people who have been in contact with the family and diagnosed with the virus which is considered very likely to have Omicron.
At least one more relative has also tested positive for the virus. The other relatives of the family, there are six, refused to answer the phone and participate in the epidemiological investigation, only further complicating the situation. Epidemiological tracking to break the chain of infection only works if people cooperate and tell the truth.
To note, the Omicron variant is at least four times more infectious than its predecessor the Delta variant. In the UK, Health Minister Sajid Javid told Parliament earlier this week that around 200,000 people in the country have contracted the Omicron variant. That number is expected to rise to half a million next week.
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While at the latest report, Israel has less than 100 confirmed cases but more than 150 highly suspicious cases.
If this new outbreak is as big as it looks, it could take months to complete tracing the entire chain of infection. That's because precise epidemiological tracking takes a long time. Even longer when dealing with long and complicated chains.
Experts say this story could be the start of a mass Omicron outbreak in Israel, leave one message, stay quarantined or something might happen and now we know what.
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