COVID: Israel to cross 1 million cases, booster to open to 30+ soon

Israeli health officials said that eligibility for a third vaccine might soon be open to all those over 30 and then to everyone, and the validity of the Green Pass – currently set to expire at the end of the year – might be shortened to six months after the second shot for those who don’t receive a booster.

The Health Ministry reported 6,527 new infections on Sunday, with another 5,814 as of 6 p.m. on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 999,110, with another few hundred expected to be identified before midnight. That means that more than one in 10 Israelis have contracted corona.

Among the current active cases are Science and Technology Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Labor MK Gilad Kariv, and Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was released from Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem late Sunday night, after spending 24 hours in the hospital.

Of those tested on Monday, 6.3% screened positive, marking the highest positivity rate since the beginning of the fourth wave.

At the same time, the reproduction rate dropped below 1.2 for the first time since the beginning of June. While a R higher than 1 indicates that the disease is still spreading, in the past few weeks it has remained stable between 1.3 and 1.4. The decrease now seems to suggest the morbidity is slowing down.

In addition, the number of serious patients also appears to have reached a plateau: on Saturday they were 657, on Sunday 679 and as of Monday night, 664. Of those, 117 were on ventilators.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 6,856 people have died from the virus, with 29 new deaths registered on Sunday, the highest daily toll since February.

Health authorities and government officials have pointed out in the past few days how almost all virus victims had not received the third shot of the corona vaccine.

Israel began mass vaccinating citizens over 60 with a booster on July 30, and since then 1.52 million people have received the third shot. All individuals over age 40 who have been fully inoculated for at least five months have been eligible for the jab since Friday.

In total, 5.9 million Israelis have received at least the first shot – around 58.5% of its population – with 1.08 million eligible individuals having chosen not to be vaccinated.

According to a report by the Health Ministry whose results were revealed on Monday, most of those who have not received the shot come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“The rich get vaccinated more, the weaker sectors of the population much less,” Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said. “I will not give up on these groups, not under my tenure.”

The plan is to send mobile vaccination stations to the communities in the socioeconomic and geographic periphery of the country.

“This is a historical example of the essential importance of reducing disparities and increasing mutual responsibility, as well as how dangerous inequality is,” Horowitz said. “Social gaps hurt the weak, and by doing so they also hurt each of us. This is true for the coronavirus, and it has taken a toll on our life as a society and as a country.”

Of those who have not gotten vaccinated, 16% live in haredi (ultra-Orthodox) cities, 32% in Arab cities, and 53% in mixed cities (and also include residents that identify with the haredi or Arab sector).

The government is also pushing to get Israeli students inoculated as they return to school.

So far, 41% of students ages 12-15 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 79% of students 16-19. On Sunday, almost 10,000 people received their first dose, the highest in over a month.

Beginning September 1, eligible students with parental approval will be able to be given shots on school grounds during school hours, in a move that health authorities say will dramatically increase the pace of vaccination.

Over an hours-long meeting late Sunday night, the cabinet approved the general plan that will allow all kids to go back to their classrooms, accepting the outline proposed by Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton.

According to the plan, students under the age of 12 will be asked to present a negative coronavirus test result on opening day.

Parents are being provided with free rapid antigen testing kits and are asked to swab their kids within 48 hours of September 1.

In red cities, students in grade eight through 12 will be forced to study online unless at least 70% of students are vaccinated or recovered.

Moreover, the Green Pass outline will apply to educational staff, meaning all teachers, aides and other workers must be vaccinated or present a negative corona test to enter the facilities. According to Israeli media, staff who refuse to get inoculated or tested might be placed on unpaid leave.

“I am glad that the members of the cabinet accepted my position on opening the school year on September 1 for all ages and voted in favor,” Shasha-Biton said. “We will do it in a responsible and controlled way in accordance with the approved education outline. Many thanks also to the representatives of parents, teachers and local authorities who participated in the discussion.”

In interviews with Israeli TV, both Horowitz and the ministry’s director-general, Nachman Ash, said the eligibility might be extended very soon to everyone over 30.

Horowitz also said that when the booster is available to everyone, they will consider shortening the validity of the Green Pass to six months after the second shot, and renew it again after people receive a booster. At the moment all Green Passes in Israel – which grant access to several venues and activities – are valid until the end of the year.

Asked about possible additional restrictions for Rosh Hashanah, the minister said he does not think there will be any.