Israel’s Health Ministry confirmed 6,562 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest number since September and three times the number of cases a week ago.
Huge numbers of people continued to line up outside testing sites throughout the country on Monday and some sites will begin operating 24 hours a day as of Monday night.
Also, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that it’s likely that the criteria for testing will be changed in the coming days, with one possible change being that only people over 60 will receive PCR tests, and vaccinated people under the age of 60 who are exposed to COVID carriers and are asymptomatic will receive only antigen tests.
עומסים כבדים, תורים בלתי נגמרים: כך נראית הדרך לבדיקת הקורונהhttps://t.co/ULZPUg1Cll pic.twitter.com/TOFJmnq7em
— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) January 2, 2022
לכל שבת יש מוצאי שבת: תורים בלתי נגמרים במתחמי בדיקות הקורונה אחרי מסיבות הסילבסטר
📸: @Naomi_Rabby הנהדרת pic.twitter.com/F4i18ivAKl
— אנה פינס Anna Pines 🎗️ (@AnnaPines_) January 2, 2022
תורים מתפתלים ואנשים זועמים: עומס חריג בכל מתחמי הבדיקותhttps://t.co/G6kvnS3Xfb pic.twitter.com/S4wTqjIQBY
— חרדים10 (@charedim10) January 2, 2022
העומסים במתחמי הבדיקות | אסתר אדמון, יו"ר הסתדרות עובדי המעבדות, מספרת ל-@razibarcay: "אנחנו טובעים. כבר אין לנו עזרה מפיקוד העורף. הכמויות הוכפלו והצוות צומצם – אתמול נערכנו ל-4,000 דגימות, בסוף הגיעו 8,000. כולנו עבדנו שעות נוספות" pic.twitter.com/7PlwxGXamd
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) January 3, 2022
However, antigen tests are only 65% effective versus PCR tests which are 95% effective.
Prof. Eran Segal of Weizmann Institute said that due to the lack of tests, the number of confirmed cases won’t provide a true picture of the outbreak and the number of seriously ill patients will be the most reliable indicator of the situation.
Israelis over 60 began receiving their fourth COVID vaccine doses on Monday following their approval on Sunday by Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash. Tens of thousands of Israelis over 60 signed up for their fourth doses with their Kupot Cholim within hours after appointment slots were opened.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Keep vaccinating!! It’s obviously doing an amazing job at ending the pandemic. Let’s go to round 4! Round 5! Let’s get boosted every Sunday!
This is because they haven’t given the 5th shot yet.
“However, antigen tests are only 65% effective versus PCR tests which are 95% effective.”
Define “effective” … only at 40 cycles?
PCR tests a good at detecting lingering infection, often after the person is not infectious any more.
Antigen tests are detecting high level of infections that are risk to other people. So, those who are positive on antigen test, should isolate. So it is a screening public policy tool to tell people who planned to be in a joint activity to stay away.
Negative antigen does not guarantee the person will not become infectious next day or even with some probability same day, with Omicron, so regular precautions should still be taken.