Israel saw a record number of verified daily infections on Monday, with 1,227 of the 57,428 coronavirus tests performed on Monday found to be positive, for an infection rate of 2.2%. This was the highest number of daily cases recorded since Oct. 19.
According to Health Ministry data released on Tuesday, there are currently 10,513 people with the virus in Israel, 264 of whom are in serious condition. There are 99 people on ventilators. So far, 2,865 people have died.
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Coronavirus chief Nachman Ash said Israel was in a state of emergency.
"There is an increase in morbidity, together with a sense among the public that the corona has left us. We will convene to think of immediate steps that need to be taken as recommendations to the coronavirus cabinet. In the meantime, we will continue our intensive steps on [epidemiological] investigations, testing, and quarantines."
Deputy Health Ministry chief Itamar Grotto said that it was too early to discuss a possible lockdown, but "if we do go for another lockdown, it will happen at the end of January, with the arrival of the first vaccines."
In an interview with 103FM, Grotto said tens of thousands of vaccines were set to arrive in Israel in late January- early February.
"Before we vaccinate the public, the vaccines will be examined by the Health Ministry. The development of the Israeli vaccine is ongoing so that we have the option for our own independent vaccine."
The vaccine in question, in development by the Israel Institute for Biological Research, will be ready by the summer, Professor Shmuel Shapira, who heads the institute, announced Monday.
Shapira, who made the remarks at a meeting of the Knesset's Science and Technology Committee, emphasized, "We are not a commercial corporation."
"We are the only place in Israel with the ability to manufacture vaccines," he said, adding he hoped the vaccine would begin Phase 3 of clinical trials in April.
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"We have an efficient and safe vaccine on our hands. We carried out [trials] for models on animals before we got to a vaccine for humans; on small animals, including mice – [it proved] both effective and safe. We have 80 people, with very minor side effects."
He added, "Unlike the statements from other companies, we are very responsible. It seems our vaccine will require one injection, not two."
He said, "In Israel, there is a very big tendency to respect companies whose mother tongue is English. I think we have very good science and good, safe and responsible work that is free of economic considerations."
Meanwhile, data published Monday indicates over 40% of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel have developed varying levels of COVID-19 antibodies.
Israeli research and development firm Tezter examined data from close to 1,000 private serological tests taken in a representative sample of the Haredi sector in November, according to a report in Israel National News.
The serological samples were taken from residents of all ages from Haredi-majority cities such as Beit Shemesh, Elad, Jerusalem, and Bnei Brak.
The firm found 37.48% of subjects showed a positive result, indicating they had developed antibodies for the coronavirus.
A further 2.64% of samples showed inconclusive results as they contained antibodies but not at the threshold capacity needed to determine they indeed contracted the disease.
In a statement, Nissim Peretz, vice president of Tezter's Strategy and Research Department said the data "allows our clients to make progress in easing [restrictions] and adjusting businesses situated in ultra-Orthodox areas."
"We will continue to work to present true data on the morbidity situation in the sector and to achieve the easing of restrictions in accordance with the low level of risk discovered in this study," he concluded.
Parts of this story were originally published by i24NEWS.
