National Covid Drill on Thursday

Israel will be holding a National Covid Drill on Thursday to test nationwide readiness for the outbreak of a new lethal variant, the first drill of its kind in the world, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The drill will be conducted in the format of a war game and be called “Omega Drill,” simulating the emergence of a new strain of virus.

The operation will be run by Defense Ministry Director of Civil Defense Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Moshe Edri, from the National Management Center in Yerushalayim, which is designed for the management of nationwide crises.

In the simulation, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will lead the response to the health crisis.

Among the other participants will be government ministry director generals, representatives of the professional agencies, the national coronavirus project manager, the Director of the Public Health Service, the Chairperson of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, and representatives of the National Security Council and the IDF (including Home Front Command).