Coronavirus

Education Ministry Dir. Gen:

'Our policy is to keep the schools open'

Education Min. Director General admits 'reality is complicated, learning isn't happening at the same pace as usual.'

Labor MK tests positive for COVID-19

MK Emilie Moatti tests positive for COVID-19: I feel okay, I had a bit of a fever.

Elkin, Bennett argue at Cabinet meeting

PM Bennett silences Minister Elkin after he tries to ask questions at COVID Cabinet meeting.

German police under fire for abuse of contact tracing

Police persuaded health authorities to release data collected for COVID tracing in order to solve a suspected crime.

PM calls Netanyahu 'anti-patriotic' for mocking antigen tests

Likud responds: Israelis being forced to pay for unreliable tests; Bennett has lost control of the situation.

Bennett: Israel world leader in protecting elderly from Omicron

PM says Israel prepared for Omicron wave despite record high infection numbers, aim is to keep economy open.

Isolation for COVID patients to be reduced to 7 days

Health Min. decides to reduce isolation period from 10 days after studies find risk of spreading disease after 7 days very low.

Teachers union head: We need to switch to remote learning

'Zoom learning is less effective - but it's the lesser evil,' teachers union chair says.

WHO: Omicron wave on the decline

World Health Organization says data from several countries show Omicron wave starting to wane.

Yamina MK:

"No lockdown, but businesses are paying a heavy price"

'We'll protect those who were hit,' Yamina's MK Abir Kara says.

37,887 new COVID cases, breaking record again

Another record-breaking number of new daily COVID cases diagnosed, as infection rate continues to soar to highest level since 2020.

Finance Ministry: 'We won't abandon any citizen in Israel'

'We finished the year 2021 with growth,' says Minister in the Finance Ministry Hamad Amar.

Pfizer CEO: Vaccine for Omicron will be ready in March

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla says the company is already manufacturing doses of its vaccine that targets Omicron variant.

Mexican President again tests positive for COVID-19

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also tested positive for the virus in January of 2021.

New record: 30,970 new cases of COVID-19 in one day

The number of active cases stands at 169,117, including 221 who are hospitalized in serious condition.

Foreign Minister Lapid tests positive for COVID

Lapid becomes second minister to test positive for COVID in under a week. Office says he feels well, isolates at home.

New study shows that cold symptoms may protect against COVID

New Study shows that contracting a cold, flu may serve as extra protection against contracting Covid-19.

Health Min: Shorten isolation for COVID patients to 7 days

Health Ministry epidemic response team recommends not expanding 4th vaccination dose drive beyond at-risk populations.

Indictment filed against woman with COVID who left isolation

Indictment filed against defendant who broke isolation to visit her father in Soroka Hospital. A prison sentence is being considered.

Finance Min.: Media causes the public to fear

Finance Min. Liberman claims, 'I'll base decisions only on financial considerations - not populist or electoral considerations.'

Health Ministry issues new instructions for antigen tests

Samples for antigen tests should be taken from both nose and throat, Health Ministry says.

Feiglin on COVID crisis: Decide that it's over - and it will be

Former MK laments destructive impact of COVID policies in Israel, and offers his suggestions for exiting the crisis.

Morrison: One who is symptomatic or has COVID not going to work

'Omicron is a gear-change, and we have to push through,' says Australian PM Scott Morrison.

MK warns: Families will choose between tests and bread

'Public is paying from money it doesn't have,' Shas MK Azoulay tells Knesset Finance Committee.

Over 200 coronavirus patients in serious condition

Infection coefficient remains static while over 32,000 new COVID-19 cases are diagnosed.

Doctors who test positive for COVID-19 to continue working?

Sheba Medical Center presents plan to allow coronavirus-positive medical staff to continue working in hospitals.

Israel eases Green Pass restrictions

Ministers vote to ease restrictions at shopping centers, allowing indoor dining at food courts and entry to stores without Green Pass.

Report: Omicron represents around 90% of Israel's new cases

Most of those hospitalized with severe COVID-19 cases contracted Delta, but the number of severe Omicron cases is rising.

Report: MDA used less effective tests for rapid testing

New report by Central Lab for Viruses shows MDA used test which are less effective at detecting Omicron than other tests.

AOC tests positive for COVID-19

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tests positive for coronavirus, days after being seen in public without a mask.

Poll:

Public disappointed with handling of COVID-19 crisis

62% of participants in poll give bad score to Prime Minister Bennett's handling of pandemic. Liberman receives the worst score.

Chief Rabbi David Lau tests positive for COVID-19

The rabbi's associates say that the rabbi is feeling well and will remain at home until the end of the isolation period.

New COVID variant sequenced: 'Deltacron'

25 cases of new mutation discovered in Cyprus. Strain is a combination of Delta and Omicron.

Researcher: CDC's COVID-diabetes study is 'embarassing'

SF physician slams new CDC study showing association between COVID and diabetes in children. 'Wouldn't pass at a 7th grade science fair.'

Israel to expand marketing of antigen tests

In order to lower price of home antigen tests, Health Ministry to allow them to be sold by more retailers.

Rabbi Gershon Edelstein tests positive for COVID

98-year-old Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponevezh Yeshiva diagnosed with COVID soon after receiving 4th vaccine dose.

Health Ministry:

Significant increase in serious cases

17,521 new COVID diagnoses were made in the last day. 208 people considered in serious condition.

COVID expert: Millions will be infected with Omicron

Head of panel of experts which advises government on COVID warns not enough data to say just how high infections at Omicron peak will be.

Three MKs test positive for COVID-19

MKs Etty Atia, Haim Katz and Yoav Ben Tzur test positive for COVID-19, as does advisor to Deputy Minister Abir Kara.

Tennis star's lawyers: He contracted COVID last month

Lawyers for Novak Djokovic say he had written clearance from Australia for medical exemption from its vaccination rules.

Fight against COVID-19:

New education outline comes into force

The "traffic light" system will be discontinued and students will continue to physically study in schools.

Number of people requesting PCR tests drops by at least 50%

'Labs are almost empty, at this rate they may close,' testing officials say.

South African doctor: 'Omicron leaving as quickly as it came'

'In South Africa those who were vaccinated suffered only mild illness from Omicron - unlike those who weren't vaccinated,' Dr. Coetzee says.

Antigen tests miss nearly half of COVID-19 cases

Nearly half (47%) of confirmed cases not detected by antigen tests; 37% detected in antigen tests tested negative in PCR tests.

Sister of Hamas leader dies after contracting COVID-19

Hamas publishes notice mourning passing of leader Yahya Sinwar's sister, after a 'life of giving and sacrifice.'

Coronavirus positivity rate reaches highest since February

Record-breaking nearly 19,000 newly diagnosed with COVID-19, as number of seriously ill patients jumps to 172.

CDC: COVID-19 may increase diabetes risk in children

Children who recovered from coronavirus found to be at significantly increased risk of developing Type 1, Type 2, diabetes, CDC finds.

CDC head: We haven't yet reached Omicron peak

Rochelle Walensky says she does not think the US has yet reached the peak of the Omicron surge.

Health officials believe:

One in three Israelis will get COVID-19

Ministry of Health believes millions of Israelis will be infected with COVID-19 in coming weeks as Omicron cases increase.

Study:

Heart inflammation risk rises with booster shots

New research suggests heart inflammation may be more common than initially believed, becomes more likely among young with booster shots.

Hospital chief:

'January is going to be one of the hardest months in history'

'Situation in emergency rooms will get so bad, we'll be embarrassed.' Jerusalem hospital chief warns of 'patients filling hospital halls.'

Brazil's President criticizes children's vaccines

Jair Bolsonaro criticizes country's health regulator for authorizing vaccination of children aged 5 to 11.

No more red countries: Skies to fully reopen at midnight

Travel to and from US and rest of the world to be allowed to resume in response to changing Omicron variant situation.

Education Minister: 'Health Ministry is creating chaos'

Education Min. Shasha-Biton slams Health Ministry chaos, promises she 'won't allow' education system to be 'dragged into bedlam.'

"Rapid spread of infection"

Two children die of coronavirus in Be'er Sheva hospital

The two, both six years old, deteriorated over the past few days, and doctors tried everything possible to save them.

Fauci: Boosted people should go out with other boosted people

"If you want to do things like that, better do them in a setting where you know the people around you are vaccinated and boosted."

Scottish news question on 'COVID internment camps' sparks uproar

Respondents blast Scottish newspaper after it asks whether Scotland should follow Australia's lead and introduce 'COVID internment camps.'

Education Ministry bars COVID testing at schools

"Health Ministry did not coordinate with us," Ministry officials explain. Meanwhile, 200,000 tests per day being conducted.

New record: 16,115 new COVID-19 cases

Number of new coronavirus diagnoses hits 16,115 as number of seriously ill patients rises to 134.

Tech boss who sent anti-Semitic email resigns position

Utah tech boss quits after board asks him to leave over email blaming Jews for COVID-19.