Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz and Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman agreed today on the requisite personnel for an additional 45 hospital beds in intensive care wards in hospitals around the country, to be implemented immediately.

The foregoing will increase the absorptive capacity of the health system and ease the pressure for the hospitals as they deal with the Omicron challenge.

Prime Minister Bennett said: "The health system is working around the clock, day and night, to safeguard public health. We are aware of the pressure on the system and are working to help and strengthen it. We have provided drugs that prevent severe illness. We have expanded the hospitalization capacity in the geriatric sector as well as home hospitalization. Now we are further strengthening the intensive care wards. We are in the height of the wave and soon we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. We will get through this wave together."

Finance Minister Liberman said: "We are providing an additional reinforcement to the hospitals' absorptive capacity in order to safeguard the health of us all and keep the economy functioning. We will continue to monitor the data, strengthen the health system and maintain optimal daily routine even in the challenging period such as the one we are now experiencing with the Omicron wave."

Health Minister Horowitz said: "We are providing all of the tools for safeguarding public health and for life alongside the coronavirus. In addition to the vaccines, drugs and tests, strengthening the health system is a main component of our strategy. It is true for emergencies such as the coronavirus and for the pressured routine. We will continue to do everything to ease conditions for hospital patients and staff."