One of the most influential ultra-Orthodox leaders, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky instructs Torah-learning institutions to "make sure to get the vaccines to schools" and inoculate the students.
After meeting into the night, ministerial forum on tackling the pandemic decides to limit access to certain shops within malls to fully vaccinated, as well as shift to remote learning in certain cases.
Following outbreak at Maaleh Adumim schools, Mayor Benny Kashriel adds more COVID testing sites, orders mobile testing units and stricter enforcement of COVID regulations, as well as more vaccinations. Nationwide, virus reproduction rate hits four-month high of 1.28.
"There is a lot of anxiety on the issue of vaccination," according to one school principal. A small but vocal group of parents is behind the efforts to sow panic, promote conspiracy theories across the country, she says.
Health Ministry's Chief COVID-19 Officer Professor Salman Zarka says Omicron wave will be like nothing we've seen before, stresses that vaccines provide the best protection.
"Don't depend on your neighbor being vaccinated – it won't help you," prime minister says at cabinet meeting as Health Ministry reports highest virus reproduction rate since early September.
Reports suggest infection caused by Israeli family returning from South Africa, who violated self-isolation guidelines. Government kicks off new quarantine guidelines for returnees from abroad. Palestinian Health Ministry detects three Omicron cases in West Bank.
On Sunday, the government will convene to vote on whether to ban travel to the US, Canada, Portugal, Turkey, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, and Belgium.
Weary of the spread of the Omicron variant, the government adds Norway, Ireland, Finland, France, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates to its no-fly list. Coronavirus infection rate stands at 0.79% as 741 Israelis test positive.
Dr. Seth Berkley says rich countries are beginning to withhold vaccines due to fear over the new strain. Pfizer reports COVID pill near 90% effective against hospitalization and death. Morbidity in Israel remains low as 673 test positive for the virus.