Coronavirus Outbreak

World Health Organization: There were 14.9 million excess deaths associated with the coronavirus pandemic by the end of 2021.

"Testing policies will remain in place, as will the rest of the services related to the pandemic," official says.

Three passengers returning from South Africa, Singapore and Italy test positive for the BA4 strain of the virus. Health Ministry said to be "monitoring the situation closely."

Former COVID chief Ronni Gamzu: The time has come to do the right thing in Israel and remove the restrictions and the mask mandate in its entirety because the virus is no longer as dangerous as it was in the past.

Clalit Health Services analyzes the data of over 300 Israelis over the age of 60 in the most comprehensive study on the effects of the fourth vaccine jab to date.

Health Ministry's pandemic response team recommends booster shot of coronavirus vaccine for children. To date, no Western country has approved a booster COVID shot for all children across the board.

Salman Zarka is less optimistic about the upcoming Passover holiday, because "despite all our efforts, the coronavirus reproduction rate will increase."

The new study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, examined more than one million people over the age of 60 who were eligible to receive the fourth dose from January 10 and March 2.

Only about half of Americans eligible for even the third shot have gotten one – and the government urged them to get up to date.