Israel's coronavirus infection rate stands at 0.66%, according to Health Ministry data. Of the 92,767 people who tested for the virus Tuesday, 563 were found to have the disease.
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The reproduction rate remains stable at 0.89.
There are 6,323 active cases of the virus in the country. There are 153 people in serious condition, 103 of whom are on ventilators.
Although 1,320,555 Israelis have recovered from the coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic, 8,130 have died.
On the vaccination front, the government on Tuesday evening announced over 4 million Israelis had received all three available doses of the coronavirus vaccine. As of Wednesday morning, that number stood at 4,001,031.
Leading medical and research organizations around the world recommend vaccination and note "the third vaccine dose is necessary to ensure complete immunological defense and many countries around the world are following in Israel's path and providing it to their residents," according to the government statement.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry on Tuesday evening published data according to which of the 153 people in serious condition, just 15, 10%, had received the third dose of the vaccine.
At a press conference Tuesday, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, Director of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry Dr. Sharon Elroi Preiss, and coronavirus chief Professor Salman Zarka discussed the waning coronavirus wave.
Horowitz said, "The Delta wave is on the decline, and the data show this very clearly. The decline we are seeing in morbidity data thanks to the booster [shot of the vaccine] is a testament to the end of the fourth wave."
He later attacked the previous government and the way in which it managed the country's response to the pandemic.
"This doesn't indicate the end of the coronavirus, and this isn't a graduation party. In this government, we managed the coronavirus responsibly and with discretion, and we will also manage the exit from this wave intelligently. Unlike the previous government, we did not close down the country, we did not drive the masses toward unemployment, we did not paralyze the market, and we opened the education system even when doing wasn't simple. We protected civil rights and individual liberties. We professionally managed [the pandemic] discreetly and without unnecessary panic. There are disagreements and arguments, but they always remain pertinent.
At the same time, Horowitz emphasized, "There are no sectorial considerations, no bans on demonstrations, and no cloud of corruption hanging above. These are the tidings this government has brought. The exit from the wave will be gradual and measured. We aren't sending the public off to celebrate, and we won't make political slogans out of it to garner votes."
He further noted the Health Ministry was "treating the waning of the wave as a kind of respite. We are assuming we might get to another wave and another wave, and we are preparing so that we are ready from all aspects. Like we said at the outset of the fourth wave, the coronavirus will likely accompany us for a very long time. It's not a cause for alarm. There will be another variant, and we will get through it with minimum harm to public health. When morbidity is on the decline, you maintain basic means of protection and that is why the green pass and the masks will continue to accompany us, and the testing infrastructure … will continue to operate. We will not dismantle. At the outset of the fourth wave, we needed to establish everything anew because it was dismantled and this made contending [with the wave] difficult."
As for the state of the pandemic around the world, Preiss said while no countries were currently blacklisted when it comes to travel for Israelis, some could very well turn red resulting in a ban on Israeli travel to those locales.
Coronavirus restrictions
As for green pass restrictions, Horowitz clarified the Health Ministry was "lowering the restrictions on gatherings in open places and removing the green pass [framework] for low-risk venues, such as sporting events, recreation, and prayers with under 1,000 participants outdoors and indoor venues with seating of up to 100 people. The mask mandate for indoor spaces would remain in place, he said.
He asked those who were unvaccinated to go and get the jab. "The entire world is coming here to learn from our experience with the third vaccine [dose], he said.
Preiss also commented on the green pass policy, emphasizing that "even if there is are very few cases, we will continue with the green pass. When morbidity strikes and it spreads very quickly, we can't just reimpose the green pass then. It must remain as a framework in particular for mass events and joyous occasions, out of the understanding there is a pandemic and the virus has entered. Even between the waves, the green pass will remain in certain places."
As for the third booster shot, Preiss said, "We still don't know enough about the efficacy of the vaccine in the long term. The antibody level after the booster jumps to a higher level than after the second [dose]. We think this will hold for at least half a year, and we continue to follow to see when there is a decline."
With Israel seemingly poised to begin vaccinating children aged 5 to 12 in the coming weeks, Horowitz said, "Every parent will make their decision for their children. In light of the fake news and slander, we must make clear: We are not forcing this on anyone, we are only explaining how good and important [it is]. The best answer is to go to the hospitals and see the seriously ill patients that did not get vaccinated."
Zarka said, "The morbidity is still here. It's not zero, and it won't be zero. The majority of the morbidity in the State of Israel is in the education system. We are on the right path. Don't throw out your masks, and don't celebrate. We will continue to make sure we are protecting ourselves and people who are at risk.
Asked about the ministry's decision not to go through with plans to broadcast the vote on vaccines for children, Horowitz said, "The public was presented with data according to which the experts make the decisions. The issue is that some of the experts are not interested in being exposed. We haven't made any decisions yet. To date, children under the age of 12 are exempt from paying for tests. We'll see what that will be like in the future."
As for the decision to reopen the country to tourists, the officials said the move was decided not to allow entry to all but in an effort to resuscitate Israel's floundering tourism industry.
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