The Omicron variant now accounts for roughly 50% of new coronavirus infections in Israel, a report by the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate said on Tuesday based on a statistical analysis of Israel's pandemic. The report further said that among those who have tested positive after traveling abroad, the proportion of Omicron cases is probably as high as 80%.
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Given Omicron's high transmission rate in other countries, the strain is likely to spread fast in Israel as well. This can already be observed in Rishon LeZion, where the number of verified cases has tripled within a week.
The report also said that Omicron hospitalizations seem to be lower compared to the wave caused by the Delta variant. However, it appears that the vaccine's efficacy in protecting asymptomatic infection is lower when it comes to the Omicron. The report warned that the next weeks could strain hospitals because of the expected exponential rise in cases, but also due to the influenza season, which could result in many admissions.
On Monday, 2,952 Israelis tested positive for the coronavirus, placing the positivity rate at 2.35%.
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