President Isaac Herzog received the third shot of the coronavirus vaccine in a televised broadcast Friday in an effort to encourage Israelis over the age of 60 to do the same.
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Herzog and his wife, Michal, were the first citizens to receive the booster shot, after the government announced on Thursday that all Israelis over the age of 60 would get the third dose.
"I am proud that our country was the first one to vaccinate its population with the first, second, and now third vaccine doses," Herzog said.
"I commend the government's courageous decision. The step we are taking now is crucial, it's how we can show we care for our fellow Israelis. The coronavirus is a deadly and dangerous virus, but thanks to this campaign, we will be able to lead normal lives in our country."
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said: "We are launching this campaign to protect Israel's senior citizens. It is the responsible thing to do. It is not a political decision, rather a professional and healthy one."
Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, will also be receiving their third shots on Friday, according to Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Netanyahu is expected to give a televised speech before receiving his inoculation at 12:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Bennett said that "Previous coronavirus infection waves cost us hundreds of lockdown days, the loss of a school year for our children and severe economic damage. We do not want that to repeat.
"Our approach is different and clear: protecting life while continuing a normal routine. My goal is to sustain businesses, education and culture alongside the coronavirus, and avoid lockdowns as much as possible," the prime minister said.
Health Ministry Director-General Professor Nachman Ash has instructed healthcare providers to start administering the shots to double-vaccinated Israelis who meet the age criteria starting on Sunday.
Israelis have been receiving only two doses of the vaccine, but in the wake of reports that the effect of the vaccine appeared to wane over time, officials have recently started administering a third dose to immunocompromised patients, and now with the latest decision, virtually all seniors will be eligible.
Meanwhile, the contagious delta variant continues to spread rapidly across Israel. The number of seriously ill COVID patients has almost doubled in a week, jumping from 87 to 167, the Health Ministry reported on Friday.
Of the 91,202 Israelis tested for the virus in the past 24 hours, 2,165 (2.37%) tested positive, setting the infection rate at 1.34.
As of Friday morning, there were 16,162 active cases in the country, with 286 patients hospitalized. Of those, 33 were in critical condition and 26 were on ventilators.
Israel has reported 847,553, including 6,466 deaths, since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
In an effort to further curb the spread of the Delta strain, the finance and transportation ministries approved on Thursday the appointment of hundreds of inspectors to enforce coronavirus regulations, including the proper wearing of protective masks, on public transports.
The government used such inspectors during Israel's previous outbreaks. The budget has been approved for three months, with the option to extend if necessary. It also approved the launch of a pilot for electronic monitoring, smart phone applications in particular, of Israelis entering the country who are obligated to quarantine.
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