People who receive the second and last dose of the coronavirus vaccine will be exempt from any need for quarantine, starting a week after the injection, said coronavirus government secretary Nachman Ash on Sunday.
At a news conference, Ash added that restrictions will be eased for those who have been fully vaccinated as part of the so-called “green passport” program, details of which will be provided in the coming days. The document must provide access to cultural events and other events currently unavailable to the public. Ash said that qualified citizens will be able to obtain the certificate through an online system that is currently in final testing.
Ash echoed the comments he made on Sunday morning, saying he would probably recommend extending the current blocking restrictions beyond the January 21 expiration date, citing still-growing infections. But he expressed hope that the trend is starting to reverse.
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“In the past few days, we can see immense pressure on the healthcare system,” said Ash. “There are about 1,200 critically ill patients, the wards at COVID-19 are 85% occupied and hospitals are reducing non-urgent procedures. The strain is expected to continue for several more days until we see a drop in infections.
Coronavirus czar Nachman Ash visits Ziv hospital in Safed, December 24, 2020 (David Cohen / Flash90)
“We are tracking the number of confirmed patients and we are cautiously hoping that the weekend’s slowdown trend will continue. The direction is encouraging, ”he said, but warned:“ The chances of recommending the extension of the block are high. ”
The COVID-19 figures updated by the Ministry of Health on Sunday afternoon showed 5,011 new cases were confirmed on Saturday, with 7.2 percent of the 63,278 tests positive. The positivity rate was the lowest in a week, although test levels below normal at the weekend meant that this did not necessarily indicate a trend.
The number of active cases was 82,877 and the total number of confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic was 546,087.
The number of critically ill patients reached a maximum of 1,237, including 332 in critical condition and 276 in ventilators.
The death toll was 3,979.
The data showed that more than a quarter of a million Israelis received the second dose of the vaccine: 255,260. The number of people who received the first shot was 2,067,389.
A medical officer Magen David Adom examines a woman on a mobile site to collect samples in Jerusalem on December 16, 2020 (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
Meanwhile, after criticism of Israel’s deal with Pfizer to give the company details about the country’s vaccination campaign in exchange for the company’s widespread and early use of the vaccine, the Ministry of Health posted the full deal on its website. The decision came to quell rumors that the privacy of the immunized was being violated.
The ministry said Pfizer agreed to the publication of the document, parts of which were edited for “commercial and other reasons”.
The cabinet is due to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to extend the coronavirus-restricted blockade, which began a week ago and is due to expire on Thursday night.
Channel 12 reported on Saturday that while the Ministry of Health is pushing to extend restrictive blocking measures, opposition from the Blue and White and ultra-Orthodox parties may see them expire on Thursday, as scheduled.