Israel plans to launch a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign as early as next week, with the country's health maintenance organizations rolling out plans to meet public demand.
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President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein have volunteered to be the first to get vaccinated in order to boost public trust. The military said that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi will also be vaccinated next week, ahead of a campaign to inoculate soldiers.
HMOs have reportedly offered celebrities a hefty payment to get vaccinated and post about it on social media. While it is unknown at this time which celebrity agreed, Israel Hayom has called on local trendsetters, leaders of public opinion and lawmakers to do so for free. Dozens have heeded the call and have already urged the public to be immunized.
"I will be vaccinated on Saturday night," Edelstein announced on Thursday. "I do it for myself, my family, and because getting vaccinated is the only way for us, as a society, to overcome the pandemic.
"The world's most brilliant minds have worked together for almost a year to develop this vaccine. I toiled for seven months to make sure these vaccines arrive in Israel because I trust the scientists who developed them. I also trust the development process and the thorough research and trials that it involved. The vaccine was developed in record time, all the while adhering to the strictest medical standards.
"I call on each and every one of you to get vaccinated. It is our way out of the health and economic crisis that the coronavirus caused in Israel and worldwide."
Israelis over the age of 60 and at-risk individuals will be able to get vaccinated starting on Dec. 21. Those whose vaccination has not been prioritized will join in the immunization efforts by the end of December or the beginning of next year at the latest.
Meanwhile, the Knesset is planning to impose stricter restrictions on public life as the Health Ministry reported more than 2,800 new coronavirus infections for the third consecutive day. The restrictions will include shuttering workplaces and stores. Tourist attractions or businesses that can receive one customer at a time, like hair salons, will not be closed.
Students from grades five and up will not be returning to school next Sunday if their cities are in "red" or "orange" according to the Health Ministry's so-called "stoplight" system. Schools in "green" and "yellow" zones will continue their work as usual. If these measures do not bring the infection rate down within three weeks, the Knesset will declare a third lockdown.
The Health Ministry reported Thursday that of the 79,531 tests conducted that day, 2,809 came back positive, raising the current infection rate to 3.6%.
There are currently 22,258 coronavirus patients in the country, 736 of whom are hospitalized. Some 131 patients are in critical condition, 419 in severe condition, 141 in moderate, and 105 patients are on ventilators.
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So far, 3,050 Israelis have died from COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. Some 2,489 healthcare workers are in quarantine, 368 of them are doctors, and 731 are nurses.
i24News contributed to this report.
