The fifth wave of COVID-19 morbidity in Israel has begun, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in presser Sunday evening as the Omicron coronavirus spreads throughout the country.
"The time we bought is running out. Omicron is here in Israel — from the Knesset to kindergartens — and it is spreading fast," Bennett said.
"It's an especially contagious variant and we can confidently say that the fifth wave has begun. I'm not saying this to scare anyone or stir panic. I recognize some fatigue among the public. It's understandable and natural. But from this situation, we must act with composure and do the right thing."
The premier said he believed that Israel may be overwhelmed by Omicron infections in a matter of weeks and urged Israelis to get their children vaccinated against the pathogen.
"I estimate that in three to four weeks, maybe even beforehand, we'll see an upsurge in morbidity that would not leave any room for doubt. Our goal is to go through this wave while keeping the economy, commerce and education system open as much as possible. To that end, we must stall the variant's replication rate, and as we buy ourselves more time, vaccinate the children of Israel posthaste."
Bennett also added that the vaccine is safe and reiterated his plea to parents to get their children inoculated.
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Medic administers COVID-19 vaccine to a child at an elementary school in Nujeidat
(Photo: Effir Sharir)
"Don’t leave your kids vulnerable to Omicron when it comes. Just go to your nearest healthcare provider. Pronto. They are waiting for you, any time of the day. Any hour you waste is in vain since even the first shot takes four to five weeks to provide optimal protection. If you'll wait until the wave hits, it would be too late."
Meanwhile, Israel announced on Sunday it intends to add 10 new countries to its no-fly list as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread the world over at full tilt.
According to the Health Ministry, the new states to be blacklisted are the U.S., Italy, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Canada, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey.
Israelis will be forbidden to visit the foregoing countries without special permission from a specialized government exceptions committee.
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Masked Israelis lining up at the check-in counter at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
The decision is set to go into effect Wednesday, pending approval by the government and the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
The Health Ministry also reported 40 new Omicron infections on Sunday, bringing the country's total caseload to 175 — 113 of which were detected in travelers returning from abroad, 31 had been in contact with people who recently traveled abroad, and the rest were infected in the community.
About two-thirds of the country's Omicron patients were vaccinated with a booster shot.
Some 380 more people were suspected of carrying Omicron.