As Israel prepared to mark Purim holidays under control, the country on Wednesday saw its virus (R) reproduction number again creep up to 0.9, raising concerns that the attempts to stop the spread of the corona virus are failing.
Despite an increase in the R number, the 74,000 tests performed Tuesday yielded 4,395 new cases of COVID-19, showing a disease rate of 6.1% – down from 7% the previous day.
According to the Military Intelligence coronavirus action group, 77.1% of new cases were in people under 39 and only 5% were in people over 60.
The data are in line with vaccine levels among the Israeli population, with 84% of people over 60 having received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine by early February.
But Israel has been struggling to maintain its rapid vaccination campaign among younger people as it has extended the campaign to everyone over 16.
Reflecting this move, the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon said on Wednesday it had seen six new patients admitted overnight – two children, a 25-year-old male and three pregnant women.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said Wednesday that 150,000 coronavirus vaccines had been given the day before. He said 4.5 million Israelis – half the population – have received a dose of the vaccine and that number includes 3.1 million people who have already received both doses.
Edelstein warned the Israelis against the misconception that many people were already protected from the virus and urged people to avoid crowded Purim ceremonies.
“Celebrate the holidays at home,” the minister said in a Hebrew Twitter post.
On Tuesday, the government voted to remove an overnight curfew during the three-day holiday from 8.30pm to 5am for Wednesday through Sunday.
Ministers also agreed to suspend interchange public transport at the same time and to reverse the ban on traveling more than a kilometer from home, in a seemingly attempt to prevent people from attending full parties.
Police have been asked to enforce the restrictions during Purim and prevent incidents full of people.
3 צפייה בגלריה
People leaving quarantine hotels Monday after Knesset fail to extend rules to keep them open
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health said Wednesday that Edelstein would meet with the head of the Knesset Foundation, Law and Justice Committee about the government’s decision to reopen state-owned quarantine hotels for its come to the country.
The chairman of the committee, MK Ya’akov Asher of the ultra-rectangular United Torah Judaism party, opposes the move, which requires Knesset approval.
The hotels were closed on Monday after the Knesset failed to extend the order allowing them to operate for at least another two weeks.