Israel's coronavirus infection rate increased slightly from 1.88% to 2% Tuesday, according to Health Ministry. Of the 122,135 Israelis who tested for the virus Monday, 2,323 were found to have COVID-19.
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Israel has 25,127 active cases of the virus. There are 427 people in serious condition, the lowest number recorded since Aug. 11, 187 of whom are on ventilators.
Although 1,275,694 Israelis have recovered from the virus since the outbreak of the pandemic, 7,940 have died.
Coronavirus chief Salman Zarka said: "We are following morbidity trends and are very optimistic. There is a decrease in the number and percentage of positive coronavirus [tests]." He said, "It takes time, but there is a decrease in seriously ill and those on ventilators. In another two weeks, serious morbidity in hospitals will also decline. On the other hand, it is important to say: We aren't out [of the woods] just yet."
"The virus is circulating among us, and we must be careful to protect ourselves. The way to protect [ourselves] is to adhere to the guidelines and get vaccinated, whether it's the first, second, or third dose. We have proved clearly that people with two doses, once half a year has passed, are unprotected. The entire world is learning from us. Both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency, which decided to vaccinate with the third dose after half a year has passed [since the last dose]. The more morbidity declines – and we're happy about that, there will be easing of restrictions, and we can return to a routine similar to normal times."
As for efforts to encourage vaccination, he said, "We are holding ongoing dialogue with the public. I hope the fake news is behind us because we see the results. We'll bring the vaccine to [your] door and neighborhood in 12 cities. We appointed a vaccine chief in Arab communities. We're sending mobile units to schools and various communities, at night, in order to make vaccines accessible. 3.7 million people received the third dose, and they're not wrong."
Zarka said Israel has acquired doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine and would transfer them to Israel's four healthcare providers in the coming days. "Our guidelines are for the healthcare provider's doctor to decide on the specific need for providing the vaccine. If the medical decision recommends it, we will authorize it." He said the vaccine would be administered to those who developed side effects and were told not to receive a third dose of either Moderna's or Pfizer's vaccine. "They can protect themselves by getting AstraZeneca's vaccine," he said.
As for Israel's policy for exiting the fourth wave of the outbreak, he said: "We will do it slowly and carefully. Today, outside restaurants no longer require a green pass. In other places, in particular, indoors, it will take some time. We want to protect people and prevent the threat of infection. As things progress, we will bring it to a discussion in the cabinet …. For now, the cabinet has no plans to meet, and it's not on the table," he said.
As for how long the green pass program will remain in effect, Zarka said its cancellation was not up for discussion. "The green pass will be part of our routines. We learned from the previous wave that it is not right to exit a wave quickly, especially when there is complex morbidity in the rest of the world. We will need to be cautious so that we don't get the fifth wave."
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A large study in France has found vaccination to be highly effective at preventing severe cases of coronavirus including from the delta variant.
Published on Monday, the research, which focuses on the prevention of severe illness and death, looked at data on 22 million people over the age of 50 from December 2020, when France first launched its vaccination campaign. Researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated people with 11 million unvaccinated subjects and found that those who received jabs were 90% less likely to be hospitalized or to die.
The results confirm observations from the US, the UK, and Israel, but researchers say it is the largest study of its kind so far.
Vaccination appears to be nearly as effective when it comes to the delta variant, with 84% protection for people aged 75 and older and 92% for people between the ages of 50 and 75.
That estimate, however, is only based on a month of data, since the variant became dominant in France only in June 2021.
The study covers vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines.
AstraZeneca's antibody cocktail against COVID-19, which has proven to work as a preventative shot in the non-infected, was also shown to save lives and prevent severe disease when given as treatment within a week of first symptoms.
The drug, a combination of two antibodies called AZD7442, reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 or death by 50% in non-hospitalized patients who experienced symptoms for seven days or less, the English-Swedish drugmaker said Monday.
The risk reduction was even better in patients who started therapy within just five days of initial symptoms.
AstraZeneca executive Mene Pangalos said in a media call that the treatment results would mainly underscore the potential future use as non-vaccine prevention. "If and when this is approved it will be used in the treatment setting as well. But the real differentiator for this antibody is going to be in the prophylactic setting," he said.
Similar therapies made with a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies are being developed by Regeneron, Eli Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline with partner Vir. These therapies are approved for emergency use in the United States for treating mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
Regeneron's therapy showed 72% protection against symptomatic infection in the first week, and 93% after that.
GSK-Vir's showed a 79% reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death due to any cause, while Eli Lilly's therapy showed a 70% reduction in viral load at day seven compared to a placebo.
Merck & Co Inc, in turn, has emphasized the convenience of use of its anti-COVID-19 tablet, which cut the risk of hospitalization or death by 50% in a trial of early-stage patients with at least one risk factor.
Merck, collaborating with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, on Monday applied for US emergency clearance for the oral drug.
AstraZeneca, whose COVID-19 vaccine has been widely used across the globe, asked US regulators last week to grant emergency use authorization for AZD7442 as a preventative shot.
As such, it is designed to protect people who do not have a strong enough immune response to vaccines, primarily those who have received organ transplants or who are in cancer care.
"You can say the same for people who don't want to be vaccinated but want an antibody," Pangalos said.
The trial took place across 13 countries and involved more than 900 adult participants, 90% of whom suffered from conditions that made them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, such as cancer and diabetes. One half receiving AZD7442 and the rest a placebo.
Full trial results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, AstraZeneca said.
AZD7442 contains laboratory-made antibodies designed to linger in the body for months to contain the virus in case of an infection. A vaccine, in contrast, relies on an intact immune system to develop targeted antibodies and infection-fighting cells.
While Monday's results cover the use of AZD7442 in non-hospitalized patients, a separate trial is also studying its use as a treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
i24NEWS contributed to this report
