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People who receive the second and final dose of the coronavirus vaccine will be exempt from any need for quarantine, effective a week after receiving the vaccine, government coronavirus tsar Nachman Ash said on Sunday.
During a press briefing, Ash added that restrictions would be relaxed for those who have been fully vaccinated under the so-called “green passport” program, details of which will be given in the coming days. The document should provide access to cultural and other events currently inaccessible to the public. Ash said eligible citizens will be able to obtain the certificate through an online system that is currently undergoing final testing.
Ash reiterated the comments he made on Sunday morning, saying he would likely recommend extending the current lockdown restrictions beyond the Jan.21 expiration date, citing infections still on the rise. But he expressed hope that the trend will start to reverse.
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“Over the last few days we can see tremendous pressure on the healthcare system,” Ash said. “There are around 1,200 severe patients, COVID-19 wards are 85% full, and hospitals are cutting back on elective procedures. The strain is expected to continue for several days until we see a drop in infections.
Coronavirus tsar Nachman Ash visits Ziv hospital in Safed, December 24, 2020 (David Cohen / Flash90)
“We are monitoring the number of confirmed patients and cautiously hope that the weekend slowdown trend will continue. Management is encouraging, ”he said, but warned:“ The chances of us recommending an extended lockdown are high. ”
Updated COVID-19 figures by the Department of Health on Sunday afternoon showed 5,011 new cases were confirmed on Saturday, with 7.2% of 63,278 tests returning positive. The positivity rate was the lowest in a week, although lower than normal test levels over the weekend meant it didn’t necessarily indicate a trend.
The number of active cases stood at 82,877 and the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic was 546,087.
The number of serious patients was at a record high of 1,237, of whom 332 were in critical condition and 276 on ventilators.
The death toll was 3,979.
Data showed that more than a quarter of a million Israelis received the second dose of the vaccine: 255,260. The number of those who received the first injection was 2,067,389.
A Magen David Adom medical worker tests a woman at a mobile site to collect samples in Jerusalem on December 16, 2020 (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
Meanwhile, following criticism of Israel’s deal with Pfizer to give the company details of the country’s vaccination campaign in return for early and widespread use of the company’s inoculation, the health ministry posted the full agreement on its website. The move quelled rumors that the privacy of those vaccinated was being violated.
The ministry said Pfizer had agreed to release the document, parts of which were drafted for “business and other reasons.”
Cabinet is expected to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to extend the tightened coronavirus lockdown, which began a week ago and is set to expire Thursday evening.
Channel 12 reported on Saturday that while the health ministry pressured to extend the tightened lockdown measures, opposition from Blue and Blue and ultra-Orthodox parties could see them expire on Thursday as scheduled.
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