In series of interviews, Bennett accuses his predecessor of 'spreading chaos, hysteria and a lack of faith' in ruling coalition, claims Israel doing best in the world on COVID

Effectiveness against hospitalization also around 90%, dropping slightly 10 weeks after receipt of third vaccine dose

960,500 people tested positive in 2021, compared to 1,160,000 this month so far; PM announces immediate addition of 45 more hospital beds in intensive care wards

Ariel Rokach speaks to ToI minutes after yet another patient dies; Israel’s hospitals will cope, he says, but doctors are being pushed to their limits, emotionally and physically

Health Ministry DG gives go-ahead for extra doses, which will also be available to carers of those at-risk due to medical conditions and others with high risk of exposure to virus

Bennett and ministers back program designed to keep schools open, despite sky-high infection rates and experts flagging pediatric hospitalizations

Health chiefs to meet with PM; head of Pediatricians Association says he's 'raising a red flag' over plan set to begin Thursday; 888 COVID patients in serious condition

While seriously ill patients currently number 871, COVID czar told number will climb passed peak of 1,200 seen during previous wave, that hospitals running out of beds as well

Opposition head blasts gov't decision to cancel quarantine for children exposed at school; premier quips, 'nice to see he stepped away from personal affairs to spread hysteria'

Variant found in at least 40 countries has particular genetic traits making it harder to detect, with some scientists worried
it could also be more contagious than Omicron