The high-level coronavirus cabinet was set to convene on Tuesday to approve new restrictions, as the daily COVID-19 caseload surpassed 3,000 for the first time since March.
According to the Health Ministry, 3,818 new cases were diagnosed on Monday, with 3.78% of tests returning positive. The number of serious cases stood at 221, of whom 46 were on ventilators.
Ministers were to discuss Health Ministry recommendations Tuesday to further restrict gatherings in an effort to contain the renewed COVID-19 outbreak, which has been blamed on the fast-spreading Delta variant.
Government ministers were also expected to consider expanding the list of countries from which travelers — including the vaccinated and recovered — must enter seven days of quarantine upon their arrival to Israel.
The so-called Green Pass was reinstated by the government on Thursday, with entry to events of more than 100 people — both indoors and outdoors — allowed only to those who are vaccinated, recovered, or who present a negative COVID test. However, children under age 12 were largely exempt from the system. Ministers are now expected to drop this exemption for young children and apply the rules to gatherings of less than 100 people.
Health Ministry director-general Nachman Ash expressed concern Monday over the continued rise in coronavirus cases, saying that the government’s next step would be to “tighten” some of the existing regulations in place to battle the resurgent outbreak.
“The situation is worrying,” he said at a press briefing.
“The next steps will be tightening the Green Pass and additional options — as much as possible without harming the economy,” he said, referring to a system that grants access to public events for the vaccinated and recovered, and calling on Israelis to adhere to the virus rules currently in place.
“We can’t become complacent,” he said.
Channel 12 news reported Monday that health officials were also pushing for masks to be made obligatory when in a crowd of more than 20 people, including outdoors.
According to the Ynet news site, the Health Ministry is planning to recommend that the government expand the list of “high risk” countries from which travelers to Israel are allowed entry but forced to quarantine for seven days.
Currently, the list includes the UAE, Uganda, Seychelles, Guatemala, Honduras, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Liberia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Fiji, Panama, Paraguay, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cambodia and Kenya. Additionally, there are 14 countries from which travel to Israel, even for fully vaccinated Israelis, is banned: UK, Spain, Turkey, Russia, India, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Cyprus.
On Monday, a day after Israel officially began its campaign to administer third shots of the coronavirus vaccine to people over 60, Ash said Monday that 45,000 people have received the booster shots so far, urging anyone who has not yet been immunized to do so.
He added that he wasn’t aware of any “special side effects” among the elderly who received third shots.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told healthcare executives Friday that the government’s goal is to give booster shots to 1.5 million Israelis above the age of 60 within the week.
In an interview Saturday with Channel 12, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz defended Israel’s decision to approve third vaccine shots for the elderly rather than wait for US regulators, as it did before beginning to use coronavirus vaccines last year.
“Any wait or delay in making the decision would cost lives. More people would develop serious morbidity or die,” he said.
Horowitz, who at 56 is too young to get a third dose, said his parents will get booster shots.
He was also asked about the prospect that the government will impose further restrictions to stem the rise in cases.
“My policy is a balanced policy,” he said, stressing his aim was to balance the fight against the virus with allowing Israelis to work and go to school. “I don’t want a lockdown and will refrain [from] a lockdown at all costs. There were terrible consequences.”
As The Times of Israel’s environment reporter, I try to convey the facts and science behind climate change and environmental degradation, to explain – and critique – the official policies affecting our future, and to describe Israeli technologies that can form part of the solution.
I am passionate about the natural world and disheartened by the dismal lack of awareness to environmental issues shown by most of the public and politicians in Israel.
I’m proud to be doing my part to keep Times of Israel readers properly informed about this vital subject – which can and does effect policy change.
Your support, through membership in The Times of Israel Community, enables us to continue our important work. Would you join our Community today?
Thank you,
Sue Surkes, Environment Reporter
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we come to work every day – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Coronavirus latest
tadalafil cost walmart prescription tadalafil online
cialis without prescription https://cialisedot.com/
tadalafil price walmart prescription tadalafil online
where to buy cialis without prescription https://cialisvet.com/
cost of cialis https://cialisicp.com/
tadalafil https://cialistrxy.com/
cost of cialis tadalafil goodrx
cheap generic cialis for sale tadalafil cost walmart
cost of cialis tadalafil daily online
canada generic tadalafil https://cialisusdc.com/
where to buy cialis without prescription cialis without prescription
where to buy cialis without prescription cialis at canadian pharmacy
tadalafil dosage cialis cost
tadalafil liquid tadalafil online with out prescription
tadalafil without a doctor prescription tadalafil generic
tadalafil side effects where to get tadalafil
tadalafil generic where to order tadalafil tablets
generic cialis online fast shipping tadalafil online with out prescription
tadalafil order online no prescription tadalafil cost in canada
tadalafil without a doctor prescription buy tadalafil
generic cialis online fast shipping side effects for tadalafil
generic tadalafil from uk https://cialistrxy.com/
buy cialis pills cialis without prescription
tadalafil online with out prescription canada generic tadalafil
buy generic cialis online with mastercard https://cialisicp.com/
tadalafil online tadalafil online with out prescription
side effects of tadalafil tadalafil cost walmart
where to order tadalafil tablets buy cialis pills
where to buy generic cialis online safely lowest price cialis
side effects for tadalafil side effects for tadalafil
viagra without prescription viagra jelly
generic tadalafil 2018 tadalafil 40 mg india
https://cialisusdc.com/ buy tadalis
sildenafil 100mg price sildenafil suspension
ivermectin 10 ml stromectol ivermectin buy
ivermectin 9mg stromectol tab 3mg
buy sildenafil 100mg online sildenafil vs viagra
buy viagra paypal uk viagra 100mg tablet
25 mg tadalafil best prices for tadalafil 20mg
generic cialis tadalafil side effects for tadalafil
ivermectin cream canada cost ivermectin 5 mg
https://cialisbusd.com/ what is tadalafil
tadalafil blood pressure https://cialisvet.com/
ivermectin 1% ivermectin uk
ivermectin 400 mg brands stromectol 12mg
purchase stromectol online stromectol coronavirus
stromectol 3mg tablets ivermectin 3mg tab
stromectol tablets stromectol tablets
ivermectin 8000 mcg ivermectin for sale
ivermectin where to buy ivermectin tablets order
buy ivermectin for humans uk ivermectin tablets order
ivermectin pills human ivermectin 1mg
ivermectin 10 mg ivermectin rx
ivermectin generic ivermectin 1%cream
sildenafil citrate tablet is sildenafil same as viagra
tadalafil reviews purchase tadalafil
cialis cost cheap cialis
buy viagra buy viagra uk
tadalafil bph mechanism cialis generico tadalafil 10 pillole 20mg
prescription drugs definition canada pharmacy coupon
levitra 20 mg coupon levitra trial
vagifem canada pharmacy thriftway pharmacy store locator
cialis and melanoma over the counter cialis walgreens
non prescription viagra viagra 150mg
physicians rx pharmacy try our ed pack
how does ivermectin work ivermectin petco
buy female viagra pills in india viagra rx cost
shop cialis where can i buy cialis over the counter
tadalafil prescribing information sildenafil, tadalafil and avanafil
levitra 20 mg tablet levitra generico farmacia italia
female viagra pill canada viagra tablet 25 mg price
levitra for daily use levitra cheaper
cialis tadalafil what is cialis black
Cialis Super Active dispose of prescription drugs
dextroamphetamine online pharmacy canada drugs lp
perscription drugs in canada pharmacy online drugstore
canadian-pharmacies-online.net reviews online pharmacy jobs
pharmacy online 365 legit optum rx pharmacy help desk
wholesale pharmacy malaysia pharmacy store
approved canadian online pharmacy buy latisse online pharmacy
provigil buy online buy modafinil 200mg
provigil 200mg without prescription buy generic provigil 100mg buy provigil 200mg without prescription
rx crossroads pharmacy refill tricare pharmacy online
modafinil 200mg for sale provigil order
order modafinil sale
order provigil 100mg pill provigil oral generic modafinil 200mg
order modafinil online provigil online buy
provigil buy online brand provigil 100mg buy provigil online cheap
azithromycin and erythromycin
purchase provigil online
provigil for sale online
provigil sale
provigil 200mg usa
purchase modafinil online cheap buy provigil pills
order provigil 200mg without prescription provigil medication provigil 200mg us
erythromycin generic name