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Health ministry officials believe the third wave viral morbidity that has swept the country has peaked and is expected to decline, weighing the loosening of current lockdown restrictions, according to a TV report on Wednesday.
Thursday will mark a week since Israel entered an enhanced lockdown that is expected to last until January 21, although officials have repeatedly said the rules would likely be extended beyond that date.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with health ministry officials on Thursday to discuss whether to extend the restrictions. Some health officials support relaxing the rules if the number of severe cases drops, Channel 12 News reported.
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Netanyahu’s talks on Thursday will also include talks about the so-called “green passports” which will grant certain benefits to Israelis who have received their second doses of the vaccine.
Channel 13 News reported on Wednesday the Health Ministry guidelines to facilitate the lockdown: As a first step, kindergartens and grades 1-4 and 11-12 will partially reopen, as will street stores, according to the report. During the second stage, students in grades 5 to 10 will resume their studies and holders of a “green passport” will be granted certain freedoms, such as permission to attend cultural events. In the third stage, restaurants and cafes will reopen.
Staff at Hadassah Medical Center receive second round of COVID-19 vaccine, at Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, January 11, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
Israel’s morbidity remains high, with a record 9,665 new infections on Monday and 9,226 cases on Tuesday. A further 4,795 cases of the virus were diagnosed Wednesday afternoon, bringing the number of active infections to 77,650, the health ministry said.
The death toll stands at 3,803 and 1,094 patients are in serious condition.
According to the ministry, 9,226 cases were diagnosed on Tuesday and 7.3% of the tests came back positive.
The high rate of infection comes as Israel’s world-leading immunization program slows its pace.
Only 100,000 people received the first dose of the vaccine this week, according to Channel 13. Health ministry officials had pledged to maintain a daily vaccination rate of more than 200,000 people. Health providers said the ministry had not given them enough vaccines and cited logistical problems in administering the vaccines, Channel 13 said.
Israel has experienced a vaccine shortage in recent days, but Pfizer has again ramped up deliveries and is expected to send the country hundreds of thousands of doses per week. Half a million more vaccines are expected to arrive in Israel early next week.
The health ministry said Wednesday afternoon that 24,421 Israelis had been vaccinated since midnight, bringing the total to more than 1.9 million. More than 85,000 Israelis have received their second dose of the vaccine.
More than 21% of Israelis received their first dose of the vaccine and almost 1% received the second dose. In Jerusalem 10.5% were shot and in Tel Aviv 19.7%.
Hospital staff transport a new patient to the coronavirus ward at Ziv Medical Center in the city of Tzfat, northern Israel, January 7, 2020. (David Cohen / Flash90)
The emergence of new strains of the virus increases the urgency of the vaccination campaign.
The Health Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that four more cases of the South African variant of the coronavirus have been discovered in Israel, bringing the total number of cases to eight. One of the cases was a 9-year-old girl, raising concerns that the variant may have circulated at her school before the lockdown took effect.
The strain is believed to be more infectious, but not more deadly. Some doubts have been expressed about the effectiveness of the vaccine in protecting recipients of this variant.
The British variant of the virus, also believed to be more contagious, was discovered in Israel and officials believed it was widespread among the population.
Health ministry officials are also concerned about a new variant of the virus originating in Brazil and are considering forcing arrivals from Brazil to be quarantined at designated hotels. All international arrivals must be quarantined, but most are self-isolating at home. The Brazilian variant has been found in travelers to Japan.
The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday recorded 1,506 active virus cases in the military, the highest figure since the start of the pandemic.
All infected troops show mild symptoms. 12,339 others are in quarantine, according to the army.
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