- The Israeli government has agreed on a deal with US-based biotech company Novavax to buy five million COVID-19 vaccine doses, the Health Ministry announced on Friday.
- The Novavax vaccines, expected to arrive in Israel over the next few months, are yet to receive the nod of approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- “R,” which reflects the ability of the disease to spread, could soon hit 1, meaning that each person infected with COVID-19 is, on average, passing it on to only one person.
The Israeli government has agreed to buy five million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Novavax, a biotech company based in the United States, according to the Health Ministry as reported by JPost.
Vaccine arrival
The Novavax vaccines, expected to arrive in Israel over the next few months, are yet to receive the nod of approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
As part of the deal, Israel has the option to purchase an extra five million vaccine doses.
Some 57,563 Israelis tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the Health Ministry said on Friday morning.
Currently, 946 patients are in serious condition, with 213 on ventilators and 18 connected to ECMO machines.
The reproduction rate, or “R,” is continuing its downwards trend and stands at 1.05, meaning that fewer cases are expected.
Strike prevention
“R,” which reflects the ability of the disease to spread, could soon hit 1, meaning that each person infected with COVID-19 is, on average, passing it on to only one person.
On Friday, the Israeli Labor Court enacted the government’s strike prevention orders against the Israeli Teachers’ Union planned strike, in protest of the government’s new schoolchildren quarantine policy.
The policy, that came into effect on Thursday, rules that students who come into contact with corona will be allowed to continue to attend school after performing at-home antigen tests.
However, the school was held as usual across Israel on Thursday morning.
Despite the strike prevention orders coming into effect, the court also ordered the government to hold negotiations with the Teachers’ Union over the implementation of the new quarantine policy.
Hospitalization
On Friday morning, a COVID-19 patient in Ashdod’s Assuta Medical Center died due to complications related to his illness.
Due to patient confidentiality, it is unknown whether the man, in his 40s, was vaccinated or not.
Hospitals in Israel gave an update on the situation in their respective coronavirus wards.
In Rabin Medical Center’s HaSharon Campus, seven are hospitalized with four in serious condition.
In addition, 30 Israelis are hospitalized with the flu in Rabin Medical Center.
Meanwhile, in the Knesset, Ra’am (United Arab List) MK Iman Khatib-Yasin tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday morning, the Knesset’s Spokesperson announced.
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Source: JPost
