Everything in Israel is open, even in the clubs there is a party until late at night. This open society is possible, among other things, because Israel actually started using booster injections this summer. However, the country is now taking additional measures, as infection numbers are on the rise.

For the first time since October, there were more than 1,000 infections on Sunday, and the r number is now 1.2. It has a population of 9 million, which is still low if you compare the numbers to those of the Netherlands. But the government is getting involved. There is no such thing as closure.

However, there are other limitations. Tourists are no longer welcome. There is also a mandatory quarantine for travelers from countries included in the “red list”. There are now 58 countries on it, including the US and Canada as of today. The Netherlands is not on that list yet.

Fourth shot

Israeli politics, which has already strengthened millions of people and also children The ability to get a snapshot has made the country open so far. This will remain the case for now, although the government is considering whether more measures are needed. Prime Minister Bennett is calling on his residents to get a booster vaccine. The fourth shot is also part of the Corona strategy.

It seems certain that the fourth shot will come. A senior official in Corona indicated that this will happen “very likely,” and the only question is when. A trial is already underway among 150 health care workers to see the effects of the fourth injection. That trial took place in the hospital of the well-known Israeli virologist Eyal Leshem.

leshes react news hour Also at the suggestion of the leader of the national Red Cross movement Jaap van Diesel that Israel started the reinforcement very early. He says they definitely don’t regret the start of summer. “You have the choice between a good helmet now, or a very good helmet in three months. And you know you’re going to have a motorcycle accident in a week. Then you better get that helmet a little bit less now.”

The potential diminishing effect of the reinforcers is not the only reason cited in Israel for the increased numbers. The prime minister’s call for reinforcements is not in vain. Four million residents have already received an injection, but about a million Israelis do not yet have a booster dose. Another reason for the high numbers is the number of children being vaccinated. Many parents are reluctant to vaccinate their children between the ages of 5 and 11. Omikron has also been mentioned as a possible cause, although the variant has rarely been encountered.

Dennis Mok Kanamori, an epidemiologist at LUMC and general practitioner, says at news hour That the increasing numbers in Israel can in no way be directly related to a decrease in the performance of reinforcers. He thinks there could be many reasons for the numbers to be “a little bit” higher and he cites another possible reason. “It’s winter there too. People are more indoors.”