Israeli senior government officials have reached a decision to end mandatory quarantine for students exposed to COVID, Israeli media reported on Thursday evening. Students who are exposed to COVID and are asymptomatic will no longer be required to isolate. Instead, all students will be required to be tested for COVID at home twice a week, Sunday and Wednesday mornings before school, and students who are positive or are symptomatic will be required to quarantine at home. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz, and Education Minister Yifat Sasha-Biton announced the new policy at a press conference on Thursday night.

Australia reported a record high of COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, and its second-largest state declared an emergency in hospitals to cope with surging patient admissions and a staffing shortage due to the coronavirus. The 74 deaths occurred in its three most populous states. New South Wales reported 36, Victoria reported 22 and Queensland 16. The previous daily record was 59 coronavirus-related deaths on Sept. 4, 2020. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there were signs that New South Wales’ infection rate was peaking and Victoria was near a plateau. The New South Wales government has ruled out a return to lockdown to counter the highly contagious omicron variant. In October, Sydney ended a 108-day lockdown because the population of Australia’s most populous city was largely vaccinated.

As Israel’s daily COVID cases continue to mount and the number of seriously ill patients skyrockets to over 500 (from just 100 a few weeks ago), Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash said on Tuesday that the health system is under intense strain. “The strain on hospitals and the health system…is immense,” he said. “The whole system is stretched to the limit with these numbers. The hospitals have the capacity to accept patients but at the cost of reducing other activities.” Ash added that he thinks the number of cases will peak in about another week but Israel still faces a difficult two or three weeks ahead. Prof.

An Israeli hospital on Monday said preliminary research indicates a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited defense against the omicron variant that is raging around the world. Sheba Hospital last month began administering a fourth vaccine to more than 270 medical workers — 154 who received a Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and 120 others who received Moderna’s. All had previously been vaccinated three times with the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. The clinical trial found that both groups showed increases in antibodies “slightly higher” than following the third vaccine last year. But it said the increased antibodies did not prevent the spread of omicron. “Despite increased antibody levels, the fourth vaccine only offers a partial defense against the virus,” said Dr.

Hundreds of Israel are refusing to be treated with Regeneron’s life-saving monoclonal antibody treatment and at least ten Israelis, and likely dozens more, subsequently passed away, Channel 12 News reported on Sunday. The report said that about 1,500 COVID patients have refused the antibody treatment and Meuchedet, one of Israel’s four Kupot Cholim, reported that ten patients who refused treatment passed away. According to the report, it’s believed that as many as 120 COVID patients in Israel may have passed away after refusing the treatment. Shortly after Israel’s Health Ministry began offering the Regeneron drug in September, reports said that anti-vaxxer coronavirus patients are refusing to be treated with the drug.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Monday announced that he has accepted the recommendation of Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz to shorten quarantine for asymptomatic coronavirus patients to 5 days from the previous 7 days. The new regulation goes into effect on Wednesday. Asymptomatic coronavirus carriers and vaccinated and/or recovered individuals who were exposed to confirmed COVID carriers can leave quarantine after receiving two negative test results on home antigen tests, one on the evening of the fourth day of quarantine and the second on the evening of the fifth day of quarantine.

As Omicron cases continue to soar in Israel, the increasing number of seriously ill COVID patients along with flu patients is beginning to strain Israel’s hospitals. Assuta Hospital in Ashdod informed Magen David Adom on Sunday morning that ambulances should be diverted to other hospitals for at least two hours as its inpatient and emergency departments were overflowing. The hospital stated that the move was coordinated with the Health Ministry, adding that “it should be noted that there’s a critical shortage of staff that is exacerbating the situation.” Other hospitals have announced that they are opening new COVID wards. Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem opened its third COVID ward over the weekend as well another ICU unit, and Shaarei Tzedek Hospital also opened another COVID ward.

The rapid spread of the Omicron caught the Jewish kehilla in Moldova at the height of the harsh Eastern European winter. Due to the increasing number of COVID patients in the hospitals, many members of the community prefer to be treated at home, leading to a critical need for oxygen machines, B’Chadrei Chareidim reported. The Rav of Moldova, HaRav Pinchas Saltzman, who already provides assistance to the community via hot meals and distribution of medication to the elderly and needy, purchased a large supply of oxygen machines, with the help of donors in the community and philanthropic organizations. The machines were flown from Israel to Moldova and are already being put to good use in the Jewish community in Kishinev.

Israel has administered a 4th vaccine dose to more than 500,000 people, the Health Ministry said Friday. Israel began administering second boosters to the most vulnerable late last month and later began offering them to everyone over 60. Authorities hope the additional boosters will blunt a wave of infections driven by the omicron variant. Health Ministry figures show Israel currently has some 250,000 active cases. But only 317 patients are listed as seriously ill, far fewer than during previous waves. “Israel’s trailblazing vaccine campaign has reached another milestone,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in a statement.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday tried to calm Israelis anxious about the rapid spread of the omicron variant, insisting the government is managing the crisis better than most and ruling out a national shutdown. Bennett said during an evening press conference that Israel was weathering an “unstoppable storm” of infection by protecting the most vulnerable people and keeping the economy open. He also called on people to take personal responsibility for protecting themselves, their children and older relatives. More than 400,000 vulnerable Israelis — mostly people over 60 — have gotten a fourth coronavirus vaccination and hospitals are prepared for an influx of severe illness. Bennett argued that these steps are evidence the situation is under control.