Israeli soldiers helping to fill and deliver oxygen tanks amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Office.

The IDF has begun preparations for a “third wave” of the coronavirus, which it predicts will reach its peak in October and continue throughout the winter.

The Israeli news site Walla reported that the IDF believed the current second wave of the virus had topped out, and the time to get ready for the next wave was now.

In particular, it was thought the winter weather could lead to the worst outbreak yet.

The IDF chief of staff has ordered the purchase of enough flu vaccines to vaccinate all soldiers before winter, thus removing a possible complication due to the ease of confusing the symptoms of the two diseases.

Plans are also in place to substantially ramp up testing. The head of the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate has been ordered to conduct a thousand tests a day and to significantly shorten the waiting time for the results.

The IDF Medical Corps is planning to immediately isolate soldiers who display coronavirus-like symptoms. If tests reveal that a soldier has the flu, they will be sent home. If they are diagnosed with the coronavirus, they will be transferred to a special IDF recovery center.

As a last resort, the IDF itself would be locked down, with soldiers forbidden to return to their homes, be in large groups or go to clubs, pools or the beach.

There have been more than 50,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 400 deaths in Israel so far.