Israel's number of new confirmed COVID cases continued to spiral, with 43,815 new COVID cases discovered Tuesday, the Health Ministry reported Wednesday, after 12.09% of the over 326,000 tests processed Tuesday came back positive.

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As of Wednesday morning, nearly 100,000 students in public schools were in quarantine, 73,550 of whom had active or symptomatic cases.

There were 222,877 active or symptomatic cases of COVID nationwide on Wednesday.

A total of 254 people were hospitalized in serious or critical condition, of whom 63 were on ventilators and 12 were hooked up to ECMO machines, figures that have more than doubled in a seven-day period.

Israel's COVID death toll since the start of the pandemic stands at 8,274.

Nearly 4.36 million Israelis have received both doses of the vaccine and a booster shot, and 424,130 have received both doses and two booster shots.

A team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who are advising the Coronavirus cabinet presented on Tuesday updated models that show that if the current wave of transmission continues, Israel will see new cases peak at 800,000 to 2 million in approximately two weeks, with anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 people hospitalized with serious cases. Some 2-5% of the serious cases are predicted to be children under 11, the researchers said.

On Monday, national coronavirus response coordinator Professor Salman Zarka warned that if more than 1,200 people were hospitalized for COVID at one time, the healthcare system would be unable to cope and a lockdown would be unavoidable.

Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej told Ynet on Tuesday that Israel was heading toward herd immunity, adding that within three weeks, anywhere from 2 to 4 million people in the country should test positive.

On Tuesday, Israel cut the isolation time for asymptomatic COVID-19 cases from 10 days to seven, hoping to keep schools and the economy open as Omicron infections sweep the country.

People infected with the coronavirus and not suffering symptoms for three days can be out of isolation after seven days, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Those showing symptoms were required to continue to isolate for 10 days.

The decision came after a ministry study of 80 COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant of the virus. Lab tests showed that the likelihood of virus growth after seven days of illness was 6%, the Health Ministry said.

"The study conducted by Health Ministry experts shows that the chance that an Omicron patient will be contagious after this period of time is very low. We will not impose isolation beyond what is required, in order to maintain health, keep the economy, education system and culture going and to maintain routine life alongside the coronavirus," Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said.

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton spoke Wednesday about her determination to keep schools open.

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"We are realizing more and more that it does immense damage to children, and we're now seeing the serious affects the lockdowns had on the kids. After a complicated year and a half and the mental health issues the students developed, we fought to start the school year on Sept. 1 despite criticism of the decision, and we made a commitment to keep school going for the sake of our children's emotional health and stability," Shasha-Biton said.

Despite the high numbers of COVID cases and quarantined students, Shasha-Biton said that "As of today [Wednesday], 90% of children are in school. I'm away of the problems and challenges. We are in difficult times and not everything is perfect, but we owe it to our children. I'll keep fighting for the 'Green Classroom' program to avoid needless quarantines," she said.

Meanwhile, healthcare officials warned Tuesday that Israel's Arab sector was poorly prepared for the Omicron wave.

A high-ranking official in the Arab healthcare sector in Jerusalem warned that the situation in the capital's Arab neighborhoods was about to "get out of control."

"In the morning, instructions say one thing, in the afternoon, another. There aren't clear decisions. The people at the top don't know how to manage things," the official said.

"People aren't buying home testing kits, or going to testing sites," the official added.

Arab communities in northern Israel appeared to be better off, although residents were still slower to respond to public health instructions than the general population in the rest of the country. The town of Shfaram has set up a testing site for members of any HMO.

Local officials said that they have seen increased demand for testing, and that messaging about COVID is consistent in schools.

i24NEWS contributed to this report

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The number of confirmed new COVID cases in Israel hit another record on Monday, with 37,847 people testing positive for the virus in a 24-hours period – the most in a single day since the pandemic hit Israel in early 2020, the Health Ministry reported Tuesday.

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Of the 359,628 tests processed in the same 24 hours, 11.38% came back positive.

The reproduction rate (R) stood at 2.05 on Tuesday morning, meaning each confirmed carrier infects an average of 2.05 other people.

On Tuesday, there were 185,753 active or symptomatic cases in Israel, with 1,445 people hospitalized for COVID, including 247 in serious condition and 79 in critical condition. A total of 59 hospitalized patients were on ventilators, and 13 were attached to ECMO machines.

Since the start of the pandemic, Israel's death toll stands at 8,271. A total of 367,670 people have received two booster shots, and 4,346,855 people have received both original doses and a single booster.

Hadassah Ein Karem Medical Center reported Tuesday that its two COVID unties were full, and staff were preparing to open a third unit.

Meanwhile, medical staff shortages continue, with 3,743 in quarantine, including 542 doctors and 1,008 nurses.

Although Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed pride a few weeks ago in Israel having "bought time" to prepare for the Omicron wave, data presented Monday at an IDF Home Front Command press briefing showed that neither contact tracing nor medical laboratories were provided with additional resources ahead of the fifth wave. However, test processing personnel was doubled, and healthcare authorities inaugurated the use of a "bot" in contact tracing, the Home Front Command reported.

The "bot" traces contacts through the Whatsapp messaging app. It was first used last August, but became operational ahead of the Omicron wave. The Home Front command said that when there are over 3,000 new cases a day, it deploys the bot, and 30-50% of the population on whom the bot is used cooperate with the questioning.

The Omicron variant has caused testing to skyrocket. More than 342,141 PCR and antigen tests were conducted Sunday, according to Health Ministry figures. That's the second highest single-day figure behind a spike of more than 414,000 in late August, as Israel was rolling out its booster shots.

Last week, when the government authorized the use of home testing kits, rapid antigen tests became the most in-demand product for delivery platform Wolt — even more than food, its core business, officials said.

By Monday, as Wolt opened a modern headquarters in a blue building in Tel Aviv, someone was ordering an antigen test every three seconds – a reflection of widespread public anxiety and confusion over the government's constantly changing pandemic policies.

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Demand notwithstanding, the government had to issue instructions on Monday about how to use the tests, explaining the people need to swab their throat as well as their nose when using rapid antigen kits to increase the chances of detecting the Omicron variant.

The recommendation goes against the advice of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has said manufacturers' instructions should still be followed and that incorrect use of throat swabs could pose a safety risk.

Director of Public Health Services in the Health Ministry Dr. Sharon Elroi-Preiss said in an interview on Army Radio that antigen – or lateral flow – tests, used widely in the country, were less sensitive than PCR tests in detecting illness.

"In order to increase their sensitivity we will from now on recommend swabbing the throat and the nose. It's not what the manufacturer instructs but we are instructing this," she said.

The ministry later issued guidelines which said a swab should be taken from the throat and then from one nostril.

"It has the potential to improve the reliability of the test," coronavirus response chief Professor Salman Zarka told a news conference, adding that the ministry would release a video showing how to use the new method.

Zarka said the ministry had spoken with companies supplying the test kits before issuing the new recommendation.

Rhenium, one of the Israeli importers of antigen kits, said earlier the Health Ministry had not consulted with it before issuing the new guidelines and that the tests, not checked by the company for throat swabs, were intended for nasal swabs.

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The coronavirus infection rate reached a new height on Wednesday with 16,115 Israelis testing positive for the disease, according to Health Ministry data.

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Altogether, 206,258 people were screened for the virus in the past 24 hours, which puts the infection rate at 7.89%. The reproduction rate, which refers to the number of people each confirmed carrier infects, stands at 1.99.

There are 72,034 active cases in the country with 307 patients hospitalized. Of those, 134 are in serious condition.

Israel has reported 1,440,771 cases, including 8,253 deaths, since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. The Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba reported the deaths of two six-year-olds of COVID on Wednesday, both of whom had pre-existing medical conditions.

Thus far, 4,295,564 Israelis have been vaccinated with the booster, 5,947,682 got two jabs and 6,604,512 received one dose.

As for the fourth vaccine shot, President Isaac Herzog, 61, and wife Michal, 60, were jabbed on Wednesday as part of an event launching the national campaign.

"Omicron is spreading throughout Israel and may reach every house in Israel," Herzog said. "There is no other choice – go out and get vaccinated!"
The couple received the second booster (fourth dose overall) at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Sunday that Israel would make the fourth dose available to people over 60 and healthcare workers. Last week, the dose was already approved for the immunocompromised and those living in elderly care facilities.

Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash, 60, received the fourth dose on Tuesday morning, calling on the public to get vaccinated as the best defense against the disease.

Also on Tuesday, Bennett announced that the fourth dose offers a fivefold increase in antibodies a week after the shot is administered, citing the results of a recent study conducted at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.

The prime minister said that results from the study show that the fourth dose is as safe as the third and that the antibodies indicate "a very high likelihood that the fourth jab will protect vaccinated people to a great degree."

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry released updated rules on coronavirus self-isolation and testing procedures, set to enter force on Jan. 7.

As per the new regulations, fully vaccinated people younger than 60 who come into contact with a confirmed COVID carrier will now be able to take an at-home antigen test to determine whether they need to quarantine.

If the rapid antigen test is negative, then no quarantine is required. If it is positive, the person will be required to take a second rapid test administered at an approved Health Ministry site or clinic.

If the second test comes back positive, the person will need to self-isolate for 10 days, to be exited with a doctor's approval.

These new policy shifts aim to reserve PCR tests for the most vulnerable populations, namely Israelis over the age of 60 and the immunocompromised.

"The guiding principle here is protecting high-risk groups," Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz announced during a press conference on Wednesday.

Whereas, vaccinated Israelis over the age of 60 and other vulnerable groups will need to take a PCR test if exposed to a confirmed COVID carrier.

If the PCR test indicates infection, a 10-day quarantine is mandatory, which can be exited with approval from a doctor. No quarantine is required if the test is negative.

The unvaccinated and at-risk must enter a 7-day quarantine regardless of test results – a positive test extends this period to 10 days, which can be exited with a doctor's note. A second negative test on the last day releases a patient from isolation.

This process is the same for all unvaccinated individuals, but with antigen tests administered at health clinics instead of PCR tests.

In related news, Britain and other governments are also overhauling coronavirus testing policies in an effort to reduce the burden on laboratories and struggle with tight supplies of kits amid soaring infection rates fueled by the Omicron variant.

This time last year, vaccines offered hope that the pandemic could be over by now. But Omicron has brought new challenges, including overloading public health systems, even if – as many scientists say – it leads to less severe illness than the earlier Delta variant.

Demand for testing kits has squeezed supply. Last week, queues formed outside pharmacies in Spain's capital Madrid in what has become a common scene since Omicron began driving up infections. Madrid, whose conservative government has put supporting the hospitality sector at the top of its agenda, is opting for increased testing and no restrictions on socializing.

A surge in demand for tests has led to issues in Italy and Britain. The UK Health Security Agency said that 100,000 more PCR booking slots per day had been made available since mid-December and that capacity had been doubled to 900,000 PCR and LFD (lateral flow devise) test kits a day.

People in England who test positive for COVID-19 on rapid lateral flow device tests will not need to confirm their results with a follow-up PCR test if they are not showing symptoms, the UKHSA said on Wednesday.

A record-high one in 15 people had COVID-19 in England in the week ending Dec. 31, estimates published by the Office for National Statistics showed on Wednesday.

"While cases of COVID continue to rise, this tried-and-tested approach means that LFDs can be used confidently to indicate COVID-19 infection without the need for PCR confirmation," Dr. Jenny Harries, the agency's chief executive, said.

PCR tests are processed in a lab and can be used to determine which variant a person has, while an LFD can be used at home and gives an indication of infectivity within half an hour.

Virologists and experts said the move was logical given the incredibly high infection rates as long as LFD supplies were sufficient as they identify the majority of people who are at their most infectious and need to isolate.

"There is really no need to confirm [a positive LFD test] with a PCR, a step that not only wastes time but costs a lot of money and uses up laboratory resources that could be better used elsewhere," said John Edmunds, a professor of mathematical modeling of infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

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But the authorities will have less data about the spread of different variants as PCR swabs are used for genotyping and sequencing.

The United States reported nearly a million new coronavirus infections on Monday, the highest daily tally of any country in the world and nearly double the previous US peak set a week earlier.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday backed its week-old guidance for people seeking to end their COVID-19 isolation at five days, adding they could take a rapid antigen test if they want to and can access one, but it is not a requirement.

The agency had been pressured by health experts to institute a test requirement after it cut in half its guidance last week for people to isolate after a COVID-19 infection to five days from 10.

Spain, Portugal, and Britain have also slashed the mandatory isolation period for people who test positive for COVID-19 amid fears that lengthy quarantines could paralyze economies.

Ireland will drop its requirement for vaccinated arrivals to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test and return to seeking proof of vaccination or recent infection upon entry, Prime Minister Micheál Martin said.

Nearly 294 million people have been reported to be infected by the coronavirus globally and more than 5.8 million​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in central China in December 2019.

A "supersonic" rise in French COVID-19 infections is set to continue in the coming days and there are no signs of the trend reversing, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.

i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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Last Monday, 16% of travelers arriving in Israel did not conduct a second COVID test, as required under the new regulations Israel has adopted in attempts to contain the Omicron COVID variant, Israel Hayom has learned.

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The new rules took effect the night of Nov. 28 and require that arrivals undergo a second test on the third day after they land in Israel, in addition to a test on the day of their departure for Israel.

Of the 15,820 travelers who landed in Israel on Monday, Nov. 29, 2,651 people neglected to undergo the second test. If this rate of non-compliant travelers holds steady, it will translate to a weekly average of 18,000 people a week who are not tested a second time. In addition, most of the travelers who did get tested a second time were tested on the fourth or fifth day after their arrival rather than on the third day, as mandated.

The government is worried that widespread noncompliance could lead to an outbreak of the Omicron variant and has decided on a fine of 2,500 shekels ($790) for anyone who does not follow the instructions for returning travelers.

According to the updated rules, Israelis who meet the Health Ministry's criteria for "vaccinated" or "recovered" are to take a PCR test upon landing in Israel, after which they are supposed to self-isolate at home. If a second PCR test on the third day after their arrival is negative, the traveler can break quarantine. Anyone who does not take a second test will be required to remain in self-isolation for the full period.

On Saturday, testing identified 445 new COVID cases. As of Sunday morning, there were 241 additional new cases, bringing the total number of active of symptomatic cases in Israel to 5,306, a drop of 68 since midnight between Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday morning, there were 110 COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition nationwide, 75 of whom were listed in critical condition. Of those 75, 23 were on ECMO machines and 64 were on ventilators.

Another 13 patients were hospitalized in moderate condition.

Since the pandemic reached Israel in early 2020, a total of 8,204 people in Israel have succumbed to the disease, including 12 who died in the past seven-day period.

Over 4 million Israelis have been vaccinated with the original two doses and the recommended booster shot, while 5.78 million have been vaccinated with the two doses of the original shot and 6.36 million have received a single vaccine dose.

On Thursday, the government announced it was halting the use of a controversial phone tracking technology to trace possible cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, days after it was authorized as an emergency measure.

Earlier this week, lawmakers announced a package of emergency measures to contain the new strain, including travel restrictions and authorizing the Shin Bet security agency to use phone monitoring technology for the contact tracing of people infected with Omicron.

To be extended, the tracking would have required parliamentary legislation.

But late Thursday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said the "cellular monitoring" would expire at midnight and not be extended.

The reversal came following days of public criticism of a practice whose use in the past has been criticized by civil liberties groups and challenged in court. Several lawmakers voted against the use of the technology, and a government ombudsman argued that it was ineffective.

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