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Tourists at Tel Aviv Airport (archive image)
Photo: Ariel Schalit / dpa
The omicron variant of the corona virus is also spreading in Israel.
The government recently decided on numerous measures and guidelines and is now starting another project.
The country is testing a fourth corona vaccination on hospital employees.
In a large clinic, 150 employees will receive a second booster vaccination.
The Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv announced that this should be used to estimate whether a second booster vaccination would be necessary for the entire population.
The results on the effectiveness of immunization are intended to help MPs make health policy decisions.
Only last week the authorities in Israel announced that people over the age of 60 could receive a fourth dose of the vaccine.
A panel of experts from the Israeli government also recommended that health care workers should also be vaccinated for the fourth time.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on all citizens who meet these criteria to get vaccinated.
According to his office, he instructed the health insurance companies to prepare for another broad vaccination campaign.
Bennett himself was able to give the all-clear on Sunday evening.
His office announced that a PCR test had been negative for the politician.
Bennett will remain in self-isolation to be on the safe side.
The head of government took the test after his 14-year-old daughter tested positive for the coronavirus.
Requirements for schools and shopping
The so-called Corona Cabinet in Israel had also decided on further new restrictions in view of the omicron spread last Tuesday. In school classes in places with a high incidence, where less than 70 percent of the students have received a primary vaccination, there should be distance learning again. The Ministerial Committee also decided to take stricter precautionary measures in shopping centers. From January onwards, parents will also have to pay for antigen tests for students themselves.
Israel has already passed the fourth corona wave.
Recently, however, the number of infections has risen again.
Only around 59 percent of the 9.4 million Israelis are still considered fully vaccinated.
These are twice vaccinated up to six months after the second vaccination and people with a booster vaccination.
32 percent of the population are not vaccinated at all, with nine percent the vaccination has already expired.
According to official figures, the new virus variant has already spread considerably in other countries.
The US epidemic authority CDC recently stated that Omikron had replaced the previously prevalent delta variant within a short time.
jok / Reuters