The first shipment of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Israel on Thursday. A larger shipment was also slated to arrive on Friday. Some 4 million doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in Israel by the end of the month.
Shipments will arrive from United Cargo's European distribution center using state-of-the-art temperature-controlled shipping containers.
The campaign to vaccinate the population could start in the coming weeks, health experts said during discussions.
According to Hebrew media, Pfizer scientists presented an Israeli committee data of their clinical trials on Saturday night. The committee was reportedly impressed with the vaccines’ efficacy and safety.
Meanwhile and amid an increase in COVID-19 infection rates recorded in the last several days, Israel’s Coronavirus Cabinet on Monday approved a nighttime curfew starting Wednesday.
Malls, shopping centers, museums, cultural events and schools will remain open during the day in accordance with prior restrictions.
The permitted opening of hotels in Eilat and the Dead Sea will also remain.
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A police checkpoint during Israel's second coronavirus lockdown
(Photo: Israel Police)
The time of day in which the curfew will start has yet to be decided, with ministers set to meet on the details on Tuesday. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein was reportedly mulling 7pm.
National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat offered a three-tier restriction scheme to reduce COVID infections to less than 1,000 daily cases, which will be approved on Tuesday by ministers and health officials.
Shabbat also called for another nationwide lockdown if cases do not decline by January 2 or if daily cases exceed 4,500.
However, coronavirus czar Prof. Nachman Ash doubted the efficacy of the nighttime curfew, saying it will not cause a “significant change in the immediate run.”
Acting police commissioner Motti Cohen was also skeptical, adding that the force does not have sufficient manpower for such an undertaking.
The Health Ministry reported Monday evening that 1,204 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed since midnight.
There are currently 13,393 active carriers of coronavirus, 332 of them are hospitalized in serious condition and 89 are on ventilators.
The COVID-19 death toll since the start of the pandemic in Israel stands at 2,924.