More than 260,000 Israelis have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week the goal is to inoculate more than 10 times that amount within the next month.
“Within 30 days we will have vaccinated 4.5 million citizens,” Netanyahu said in a video message Saturday night.
“Since everyone needs two injections, after one month we will have vaccinated 2.25 million Israeli citizens. There is nothing like this in the world.”
Once We Have Completed This Stage. . .
The first round is to include all medical personnel and the entire high-risk and elderly population, which accounts for 95 percent of the mortality in Israel, Netanyahu said. “Once we have completed this stage . . . we can get out of the coronavirus, open up the economy and do things that no country can do,” he said.
This weekend, the Health Ministry said 5,433 people tested positive for COVID-19 out of more than 86,960 tests carried out on Friday and Saturday, resulting in a contagion, or “positivity” rate of 4.7 percent.
At least 561 patients are listed in serious condition, of whom 136 are currently on life support, relying on respirators to survive. The official COVID-19 death toll now stands at 3,203.
The government cabinet, this morning (Friday, 25 December 2020), in a conference call, approved the following regulations, which will be valid for 14 days, from 17:00 on Sunday, 27 December 2020, until Saturday, 9 January 2021.
The Rules for Lockdown 3.0
Israel’s government cabinet gave final approval on Friday to the lockdown regulations that become effective at 5 pm Sunday (Dec 27). Here’s the list:
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Restrictions on going out from one’s place of residence beyond 1,000 meters. The exceptions are:
- going out to be vaccinated,
- receive medical treatment or social work care,
- attend a demonstration or legal proceeding,
- do individual exercise (without use of a vehicle),
- transferring a minor between separated parents,
- going to a permitted place of work or to permitted educational activity, or
- going out to attend a funeral, wedding or circumcision (subject to the restrictions on gatherings).
- Class as usual for ages 0-6, grades 1-4 and grades 11-12
- There will be no classes for grades 5-10; they will have remote learning.
- Activity in open areas is prohibited.
- Practical classes in institutions for education or professional training for adults are prohibited.
- Classroom studies for grades 13-14 are prohibited along with youth movement activities.
- Activity for special education pupils,
- drop-outs and youth-at-risk,
- boarding schools,
- classroom studies for new olim and
- access to institutions for education, and/or professional training for adults
- and on-line learning for students that require this.
- Places of work that provide essential services
- enterprises that give vital services
- enterprises with special permission to employ workers during hours of rest
- places of work involved in construction or infrastructure, security industries, and
- security-supporting enterprises (to which other restrictions will apply).
Fine for violation: NIS 500.
2. A prohibition on leaving one’s place of residence in order to be present in another person’s place of residence.
3. Closure of public and commercial places except for essential stores: Food, hygiene, optical, pharmacies, and electric products and products that are necessary for essential home repairs.
4. Closure of guesthouses and B&B’s, zoos, safari parks and nature reserves, national parks, national and commemorative sites, places for giving non-medical treatment including beauty and cosmetics treatment, places for giving complementary / holistic medical treatment, drive-in cinemas, malls, markets and museums. ALSO: Pickup service from eating establishments has also been canceled. Delivery, however, is still possible.
5. Places for athletic training may operate for professional athletes only.
6. Practical driving lessons are cancelled; organizing – or participating in – an organized hike is prohibited.
7. In education:
8. The following may continue:
9. Trips are prohibited.
The ministerial coronavirus committee decided that from Sunday (Dec. 27) 5 pm until Saturday Jan. 9 (2021), places of work that employ more than ten workers may not allow more than 50 percent of their workforce, or 10 workers — whichever is higher — to be present in the workplace at the same time. There are, however, exceptions:
Beyond the foregoing, employers must continue to meet the purple badge standard conditions.
The ministerial coronavirus committee also approved the Health Ministry’s draft decision to cancel the declaration of Eilat and the Dead Sea area as green islands, effective Monday (Dec. 28).