Turnaround marks first time figure has fallen since the beginning of the year; daily caseload, deaths also down; ministers to meet on abolishing Green Pass rules

Health Ministry figure says medical centers will have to cut back on non-essential treatments, surgery for coming three weeks to deal with expected influx

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

Schools to open normally on Thursday despite strike threat, except in Jerusalem, northern Israel and parts of West Bank, where a snow day has been called

Report indicates labor chief called action at behest of top health official; government to ask court for emergency injunction against call for teachers to stay home

After treatments added to state-subsidized 'health basket,' vocal cord surgeon Dr. Hagit Shoffel-Havakuk says the 'life-changing' remedies are 'a medical matter and not cosmetic'

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

Advisory panel recommends second booster when five months have passed since third shot or recovery; move pending approval by Health Ministry chief

Panel says Omicron's high transmissibility makes certificate irrelevant; warns quality of care at hospitals will go down due to influx of patients

TV report cites Health Ministry assessments that number of new COVID infections per day has started to moderate