Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday that vaccinations and renewed restrictions could Israel another lockdown, coronavirus infections soar.
He said, on a tour of a new vaccination centre in Jerusalem,”Our goal is to keep Israel open but not reach a situation where hospitals will say we are full,” . Bennett said, “We are seeking to avoid that, and know when to hit the brakes,”.”To refrain from harsher restrictions, we’ll get vaccinated, wear masks and maintain social distancing.”
Prime minister naftali Bennett’s government states, a package of new restrictions Tuesday, including requiring vaccine certificates or negative tests for entry to venues holding fewer than 100 people, and mandatory mask wearing in open spaces holding more than 100.
The new restrictions announced , the cabinet’s Covid committee warned the highly infection Delta variant of the coronavirus was spreading fast and called on Israelis to “stop shaking hands, embracing and kissing.”
The list of countries the health ministry has also expanded from arrivals are required to quarantine, regardless of their vaccination or testing status, to include France, Italy and the United States, among other countries.
The previos week , Israel has been recording an average of more than 2,000 new cases a day, with 229 people in serious condition the highest since April.
The rise in infections is a step back after Israel’s world-leading vaccine campaign down new Covid-19 cases from 10,000 a day to fewer than 100.
One million, Israelis still refuse to be vaccinated even though they are eligible. Israel last week rolled out a booster shot for the over-60s. It has also made children as young as 12 eligible for inoculation.
Most Covid 19 , israel had lifted restrictions in early June, but began reimposing some of them last month following the resurgence of cases.
Nearly 60 % of Israel’s 9.3 million people have had two shots, mostly of the Pfizer ,BioNTech vaccine.