Award Banner
Award Banner

With boosters, masks and Green Pass, Israel sees a Covid-19 wave in retreat

With boosters, masks and Green Pass, Israel sees a Covid-19 wave in retreat
Medical staff chat inside the Covid-19 ward of Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Oct 12, 2021.
PHOTO: Reuters

JERUSALEM - Four months into one of its worst Covid-19 outbreaks, Israel is seeing a sharp drop in new infections and severe illness, aided by its use of vaccine boosters, vaccine passports and mask mandates, scientists and health officials said.

Israel was struck by its fourth coronavirus wave in June, fuelled by the fast-spreading Delta variant.

Rather than imposing new lockdown measures, the government bet on a third booster dose of the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech vaccine for people age 12 and up, mandated face coverings and enforced use of a "Green Pass" - proof of vaccination, recovery from the illness or a negative test for the virus - at restaurants and other venues, even for children.

Since peaking in early September, daily infections in Israel have fallen more than 80 per cent, with severe cases nearly halved.

"Day by day we are breaking the Delta wave," Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday (Oct 12), crediting government policy for "close, smart and flexible management allowing life alongside coronavirus."

Israel's "Living with Covid" strategy, which has not come without cost or controversy, has kept schools and the economy open.

The Israeli Health Ministry on Thursday presented the latest safety and effectiveness data from its booster campaign to a panel of advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration considering authorisation of additional booster shots.

The data show that among people over 60 - the first group to receive boosters - infections began declining rapidly about two weeks after third doses were administered, while still climbing among other age groups.

Data analysis by Doron Gazit and Yinon Ashkenazy of the Hebrew University's Covid-19 monitoring team showed the virus' reproduction rate - its ability to spread - began a sharp fall among each age group following the third shot.

Two months into the Delta wave, vaccinated people over the age of 60 made up more than half of severe Covid-19 cases. The majority were over 70 with health conditions that put them at higher risk.

Since the administration of boosters, mostly unvaccinated, often younger, people are bearing the brunt of serious illness.

They make up about 75 per cent of hospitalised patients in severe condition, while those vaccinated with two or three shots account for a quarter of such cases.

A third dose has so far been effective in curbing severe breakthrough cases among vaccinated people age 40 and up, according to the health ministry.

There is less available data for teens and young adults. However, the ministry said its findings so far show that a third dose has not increased the risk of myocarditis, a rare heart inflammation, in younger people.

Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics. PHOTO: Reuters

"The jury is still out" 

Ran Balicer, who heads the government's coronavirus expert advisory panel, said a combination of measures curbed the Delta surge.

"These include the masks mandate, the 'Green Passes', the massive testing both with PCR testing and rapid antigen tests. But undoubtedly, the most important impactful factor in bringing down the Delta summer surge was the mass vaccination campaign with booster doses," Balicer said.

In England, where boosters have been administered to roughly five per cent of the population, masks have largely been abandoned and vaccine passports are not mandatory, Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

Some scientists said Israel's decision in late August to approve a third vaccine dose for young adults and teens was premature, lacking clear evidence of a benefit.

They argue the focus should still be on convincing unvaccinated people to accept the shots.

The United States and several European countries have so far authorised boosters only for older adults, people with weakened immune systems or workers at high risk of coronavirus exposure.

The World Health Organisation has pleaded with wealthier nations to hold off on boosters while many countries struggle to access vaccines.

"Israel rushed, even gambled, when it came to approving a third dose for the whole population and not to specific age groups as other countries did," said Hagai Levine, professor of epidemiology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

"In the midst of a pandemic you sometimes have to make a decision based on partial evidence," Levine said. Nevertheless, "the jury is still out on third doses for the entire population."

Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics. PHOTO: Reuters

Bennett has been criticised by some scientists for rejecting tougher measures that would have kept Delta infections lower from the start.

They included government health officials who feared the "Living with Covid" policy exacted too heavy a toll.

"We have 1,400 people who died in this wave. So there are benefits to keeping the economy open and there is some cost to that," Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health at Israel's Health Ministry, told The Jerusalem Post conference on Tuesday.

By September, hospitals strained to care for Covid-19 cases that could have perhaps been avoided, doctors and health officials said.

"It's a good policy, but it has its price," said Yael Haviv-Yadid, head of the critical care ward at Sheba Medical Centre, whose unit saw an influx of young, unvaccinated patients. "The teams are very tired, burned out."

So far, 3.7 million people have taken a third shot, more than a third of Israel's population.

"Israel was the first country to deal with the combined challenge posed by the Delta variant and mass waning immunity, but it is definitely not the last" Balicer cautioned.

"Other countries that will be faced with this complex challenge will have to figure out their own balance," he added, "and the costs can be high." 

homepage

trending

trending
    GE2025 Nomination Day: All the successfully nominated candidates for all 33 constituencies
    'This election is going to be a tough contest': PM Wong as Nomination Day wraps up
    GE2025: Candidates post heartfelt tributes to family on Nomination Day
    COE prices end mixed in second bidding for April 2025, with Cat A and E seeing a slight increase
    10 things to know about Heng Swee Keat
    GE2025: PAP wins Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC in walkover
    Pritam Singh to lead Aljunied GRC, Faisal Manap moves to Tampines
    GE2025: West Coast-Jurong West GRC sees rematch between PAP and PSP
    GE2025: Gan Kim Yong to helm PAP team in new Punggol GRC, Harpreet to lead WP
    Taiwanese actor Jeremy Huang, known for appearance on Mr Con & Ms Csi, dies at 31
    GE2025: Edwin Tong to lead PAP team against WP in East Coast GRC
    Local brands like Ann Chin Popiah and Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice to open at 5-star hotel in Macau

Singapore

Singapore
    • GE2025: WP to defend Sengkang GRC against PAP
    • '2 potential office holders': Shanmugam to lead PAP team for Nee Soon GRC with 4 new faces
    • 'He was a champion of unity and hope': Singapore Archdiocese pays moving tribute to Pope Francis on his passing
    • 'I decided to devote more time to my family': East Coast GRC MP Cheryl Chan retires after serving a decade in politics
    • GE2025: 'No credible opposition' party in Radin Mas, says independent candidate Darryl Lo
    • GE2025: WP, NSP and PPP challenge PAP in Tampines GRC's four-corner fight
    • GE2025: Five things to look out for on Nomination Day
    • Daily roundup: Books Kinokuniya to open new outlet at Raffles City this August — and other top stories today
    • 'Steady in crisis, bold in imagining possibilities': PM Wong thanks Ng Eng Hen for contributions to Singapore
    • 'Her kindness and service touched countless lives': Wife of Singapore's first president, Yusof Ishak, dies at 91

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 'You see how deep the water is': Darren Lim carries son on his shoulders through Bukit Timah flash floods on April 20
    • Desmond Tan recounts challenges of playing twins with polar personalities in new drama
    • Gossip mill: Elvin Ng and other celebs to play charity football match, Sora Ma becomes Singapore citizen, Elva Hsiao 80% recovered after hip fracture
    • Japanese star Mizuki Itagaki found dead at 24, months after going missing
    • Tom Hanks has started working on Toy Story 5
    • Hailey Bieber reveals she has 2 ovarian cysts
    • Spike Lee cast A$AP Rocky in his new movie after seeing meme comparing him to Denzel Washington
    • Kristen Stewart and Dylan Meyer tie the knot
    • Sean 'Diddy' Combs loses bid to delay sex-trafficking trial
    • 'Allow yourself to feel grief: Ed Sheeran says there's no magic cure for depression

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • 'It hurts, losing everything': Mentai-Ya boss closes all remaining stalls after $550k losses in 2 years
    • Kenny Rogers Roasters now has an all-you-can-eat buffet for $28.90++, here's a sneak peek at the menu
    • This new American malt shop along Joo Chiat Road looks like it came straight out of a Wes Anderson film
    • Cinema-themed Korean restaurant opens at Changi Airport with banchan and ice-cream buffet
    • Electrifying business: Mercedes-Benz launches 3 new electric vans in Singapore
    • Books Kinokuniya to open new outlet at Raffles City this August
    • Fashion meets sustainability: A sneak peek at 2nd Street outlet in Orchard, opening on April 29
    • The Coconut Club has a new restaurant inspired by an 'overlooked' fruit, here's what to expect
    • Four Star celebrates 57th anniversary with premium mattresses from $570 and bedframes at just $57
    • On this day in 1981, the Vanda Miss Joaquim was declared Singapore's national flower

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Google Pixel 9a: The best AI-centric phone under $800 in 2025?
    • Western intelligence agencies warn spyware threat targeting Taiwan, Tibetan rights advocates
    • Taiwan says China using generative AI to ramp up disinformation and 'divide' the island
    • Russian court fines Telegram app for refusal to remove anti-government content, TASS reports
    • One Beijing man's quest to keep cooking — and connecting with Americans — on camera
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • China warns countries against striking trade deals with US at its expense
    • Why we bought a $960k 2-bedder condo at Penrose during Covid-19: A buyer's case study
    • Why are recently MOP-ed 3-room HDB flats in Yishun fetching top prices?
    • Should you buy a freehold or leasehold condo in 2025? Here's the surprising better performer
    • Chinatown merchants in the US are feeling the bite of tariffs
    • From Xiaxue's executive flat to Bishan's million-dollar flat: What's behind the price surge of 4-room HDB flats?
    • DPM Gan unveils task force to tackle impact of US tariffs on Singapore, warns of a 'more unstable and fragmented world'
    • South Korea, Vietnam pledge co-operation as US tariffs loom
    • Macau's leader warns world's biggest gambling hub could face a budget deficit

Latest

Latest
  • South Korea prosecutors indict ex-president Moon Jae-in for bribery
  • Aid funding disrupts child vaccinations almost as much as pandemic, says UN
  • Powerful earthquake shakes Istanbul, dozens hurt jumping from buildings
  • Earthquake of magnitude 6.02 strikes Turkey, GFZ says
  • Militants in Indian Kashmir segregate men from women and children before opening fire
  • Trump and Zelenskiy clash again and US warns it could abandon Ukraine talks
  • Thousands honour Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica
  • Trump's cabinet ready to take back power with Musk stepping back, sources say
  • India downgrades ties with Pakistan after attack on Kashmir tourists kills 26

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Pope Francis died after suffering stroke and cardiac arrest: Vatican
  • GE2025: Why this 32-year-old is setting up a political party to contest East Coast GRC
  • Two men fight each other at Johor checkpoint over allegation of cutting queue, probe on
  • Pair narrowly escape death after driving off incomplete highway in Indonesia while following Google Maps
  • Ex-MP Lee Bee Wah introduces former MDDI director Goh Hanyan as potential candidate to Nee Soon residents
  • Robert Ng, son of late billionaire Ng Teng Fong, and 3 children to be designated as 'politically significant persons'
  • 'She should be with her family': Employer gives maid plane ticket, $800 to return to Myanmar and search for missing mum
  • 'He needed something to help him fight,' says man who bought Hokkien mee for dying patient
  • Thai woman struggles to evacuate during earthquake while her dog sleeps unfazed
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.