Israel's coronavirus czar said on Wednesday that Israel appears to be on the cusp of a new wave of COVID morbidity spurred on by the BA.5 variant of coronavirus.
The strain was first detected last February and has spread quickly, although it is not seen to have caused a more serious illness.
"Unfortunately, it seems that Israel is at the beginning of a new corona wave - the BA5 wave," said Salman Zarka during a press briefing.
He added, however, that he does not see a need for health restrictions to be re-imposed at this time.
"We have to weight the need to save lives with national security, education and the economy," he said. "The government had in the past, opted not to impose restrictions and to allow economic growth alongside the COVID pandemic," Zarka said.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett held consultations with health experts on Wednesday to discuss the rise in virus cases and mull possible steps the government could take - including a fifth vaccine for at-risk groups - and an additional booster shot for children aged 5-11.
On Tuesday, the Health Ministry issued a recommendation for the elderly and at-risk population to resume the use of masks in confined settings, albeit at this point on a voluntary basis.