Israel's coronavirus infection rate stood at 4.62% Thursday, as 5,946 of the 139,043 people who tested for the virus were found to have the disease.
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Israel has 42,203 active cases. There are 421 Israelis in serious condition, 65 of whom are on ventilators.
Although 872,167 people have recovered from the virus, 6,593 have died.
Among the over 5.4 million Israelis that have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, over 716,500 have received a third booster dose.
According to a report by Channel 12 News, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday morning advised the heads of Israel's four healthcare providers to prepare for the expansion of Israelis eligible to receive a third vaccine dose next week. Currently, only Israelis aged 60 and over, those suffering from a chronic illness, and medical workers are eligible for a third dose.
"Our goal was and continues to be to contend with the delta, without destructive harm to the economy, as much as possible," he said, encouraging vaccination as the best means to fight the pandemic.
To contend with rising infection numbers, the so-called "coronavirus cabinet" on Wednesday moved to further tighten the Green Pass system to restrict entry to vaccinated individuals or those who have either recovered from the virus or tested negative within 72 hours to all businesses and events outside of shopping malls and reimposed the Purple Badge system for limiting the number of people allowed in stores or workplaces that take customers.
Up to 50 people will be allowed to attend private, indoor events, while up to 100 will be allowed at outdoor, private events.
Despite moves to bolster the health system, coronavirus cabinet member Professor Ran Belicer presented findings at the meeting that pointed to the healthcare system potentially being overwhelmed in September. Professor Eran Segal of the Weizmann Institute, another member of the committee, was more optimistic. He said that if a third vaccine dose proved effective, this could keep hospitals from being overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, members of the Likud and National Religious Party have spoken out against reports a secret agreement has been made between hospital directors and the Health Ministry. According to the agreement, hospitals could hire hundreds of medical workers but would not be able to go to the media if they were overwhelmed with seriously ill patients.
On Twitter, Likud Galit Distel Atbaryan wrote: "Using veterinarians. [Medical worker] slots in return for silence. Dealing with the dead. Bennett is desperate and shooting in all directions. He's in over his head. And this is dangerous for us. Very dangerous."
Also on Thursday, Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked's comments Tuesday that the public needed to brace for dealing with epidemic-related deaths.
"We have to be able to deal with having patients who are in serious condition, as well as deaths because this is a pandemic and in a pandemic – people die. This is happening all over the world," she told Channel 13 News.
In a video posted to social media by Netanyahu's Likud party, the former premier said: Naftali and Ayelet, have you gone crazy? … Instead of dealing with the deaths, you need to save lives. But because of your experience and shirking responsibility, you have wasted the precious time you had to save lives. You've wasted seven weeks too many," Netanyahu said, a reference to his call for Israel to import millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines the country had already paid for and administer a third dose to the country's citizens.
"Bennett, you wasted precious time, and Israel's citizens are paying the price …" Addressing the coalition government, he said: You've gone off the rails. Go home."
