"We will take citizens' financial situation into account. A third lockdown is unlike the first two lockdowns, and this time we will act with restraint and containment. We expect the public's cooperation," Israel Police official says, noting enforcement to focus on gatherings against guidelines and violations of quarantine.
Starting this week, people under 60 with chronic health conditions will now be eligible for the vaccine, and Health Ministry Director General Professor Hezi Levy is looking into the possibility of starting vaccinations for all teachers.
4.1% of COVID tests conducted in past 24 hours come back positive; death toll since start of pandemic in Israel hits 3,171.
Passengers disobey Coronavirus Cabinet orders that all Israelis returning home must enter a two-week quarantine at a state-run hotel facility.
Vaccinated Israelis will be able to travel to the Dead Sea and Eilat, skip mandatory quarantine if they return from abroad or come in contact with a coronavirus patient, and visit cultural venues and attend sports events.
Netanyahu says combination of Israel's vaccination campaign, third lockdown means that in a few weeks, Israel will likely be the first country to put the pandemic behind it. "It's a huge blessing," he says. In effort to meet PM's goals of inoculating over 100,000 Israelis a day, Health Ministry orders vaccinates to be administered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Shabbat.
As of Wednesday, 1,5% of Israel's population has received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. According to Our World in Data research institute, 2.4 million people have been vaccinated against the coronavirus worldwide, one million of them in China. In the US, 614,000 have received the vaccine, in Russia, 200,000, and in Canada, 26,000.
In an effort to bring down coronavirus morbidity rates, government approves two- to four-week lockdown that will keep Israelis within 1,000 meters of their homes. Education system to remain partially open despite Health Ministry warning move will render lockdown ineffective.
With over 500 people hospitalized in serious condition, Professor Nachman Ash says, "This requires an immediate lockdown." Citing current infection rate, Military Intelligence Directorate predicts Israel will see over 10,000 new daily infections by mid-January if no restrictions are imposed.
Military Intelligence report warns that average number of new cases per week rising at an alarming rate, and the percentage of positive results is also climbing.
