Israel wants to start giving certain groups of people a fourth vaccination against the coronavirus as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke of "wonderful news" on Tuesday evening following a recommendation from the Ministry of Health's advisory staff and announced that preparations would begin immediately.

Israel continues to play a pioneering role in the fight against the coronavirus, Bennett said.

Christian Meier

Political Correspondent for the Middle East and Northeast Africa.

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According to the recommendation, people over the age of 60, medical personnel and people with immunodeficiency should be vaccinated again four months after the third vaccination. In addition, the interval between the second and third vaccination should be shortened from at least five to at least three months. The proposals are now being examined by the Director General of the Ministry of Health.

In Israel, people were vaccinated for the third time at the end of July. The fourth corona wave, which was dominated by the delta variant, was brought under control by October. However, the number of new infections has been increasing again since mid-November. On Wednesday, 903 infections were reported within 24 hours. The official total number of Omicron cases on Tuesday was 340, twice as many as the day before. There are also hundreds of other suspected Omicron cases. Reports of a first death in Israel from an omicron infection have meanwhile not been confirmed. The Ministry of Health said the person in question, a 65-year-old man with previous illnesses, had died of an infection with the Delta variant, according to laboratory tests.

The Corona cabinet decided on further restrictions that should serve to reduce the gathering of people.

In the government, however, there is apparently no consensus on how to proceed.

While Bennett campaigned for stricter restrictions on public life, Treasury Secretary Avigdor Lieberman spoke out against it.

He argued that the danger posed by the Omikron variant was overestimated.

“Right now I don't see it's worse than the flu,” Lieberman said.