Coronavirus Outbreak

Coronavirus cabinet agrees to proposed pilot to open shopping malls on a trial basis.

As students in the fifth and sixth grades return to school, the infection rate surges to its highest in a month.

Education Ministry decides to expand COVID testing for students, teachers. Middle schoolers will be the last to go back.

"This means we have a vaccine for the world," Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford University vaccine group that developed the drug, says.

Health Ministry: Travel taking a toll on the number COVID infections. Some 20% of Israelis who returned from Turkey in October test positive for corona, as to 13% of those returning from Bulgaria, 6% of those who visited the US, and 3% of those who traveled to Greece.

Ramallah says it will be short several million doses even after receiving the vaccines from Israel, as well as millions of vaccines the United Nations has pledged the PA. 

Minister Yuli Edelstein says best case scenario would see small deliveries of vaccines begin to arrive in Israel by the beginning of 2021. None of the pharmaceutical companies developing a vaccine for the coronavirus have included children under the age of 12 in their clinical trials.

AstraZeneca is one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world and has recently published encouraging results on the effectiveness of its vaccine among senior citizens. Meanwhile, experts are unsure if vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca will be suitable for children.

With infection rate at 1.4%, Hezi Levy notes increase in morbidity could lead to new coronavirus restrictions. WHO's director for Europe says lockdowns could be avoided if "95% of people wore masks."

Israel's largest and most complicated public vaccination drive will be carried out in dedicated centers rather than HMO clinics. Four teams will be appointed to handle different aspects of the project, including public outreach and refusal to be vaccinated.