Israel's coronavirus infection rate stands at 0.86%, according to Health Ministry data. Of the 82,454 people who tested for the virus Tuesday, 663 were found to have contracted the disease.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
There are 7,447 active cases of the virus. There are 201 people in serious condition, 120 of whom are on ventilators.
Although 1,316,201 Israelis have recovered from the virus since the outbreak of the pandemic, 8,106 have died.
On the vaccination front, 6,241,399 Israelis have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 5,736,255 have received two doses. Nearly 4 million Israelis – 3,967,603 – have received all three available doses of the vaccine.
A coronavirus outbreak among foreign workers has been identified in the Jordan Valley after one confirmed carrier was admitted to Baruch Podeh Medical Center in Tiberias over the weekend. So far, 170 cases have been confirmed.
Meanwhile, US health officials on Tuesday gave the final signoff to emergency use of Pfizer's kid-size COVID-19 shot, a milestone that opens a major expansion of the nation's vaccination campaign to children as young as five.
The Food and Drug Administration already authorized the shots for children ages 5 to 11 – doses just a third of the amount given to teens and adults, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommends who should receive FDA-cleared vaccines.
The announcement by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky came just hours after an advisory panel unanimously decided Pfizer's shots should be made available to the 28 million youngsters in that age group.
The decision marks the first opportunity for Americans under 12 to get the powerful protection of any COVID-19 vaccine.
"As a mom, I encourage parents with questions to talk to their pediatrician, school nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about the vaccine and the importance of getting their children vaccinated," Walensky said Tuesday night, in a statement.
In remarks earlier in the day, she said while the risk of severe disease and death is lower in young children than adults, it is real – and that COVID-19 has had a profound social, mental health, and educational impact on youngsters, including widening disparities in learning.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
