Israel breaks daily Covid case record from January as delta variant surges

[andhra_jp]

Just months ago, Israel was a world leader in vaccinating its population and appeared to be putting a stranglehold on the virus that causes COVID-19, wrestling down its daily case count to double digits — and at times, near zero.

But any potential celebration was short-lived, as the more contagious delta variant gained traction and spread quickly, to the point where Israel's most recent daily case count was around 11,000 — a level not seen since January.

Meanwhile, Israeli health officials reported what appeared to be a waning efficacy of the vaccine, including among those who had been double vaccinated. Data showed that of the serious cases being admitted to hospital, around 60 per cent of patients were people who had been fully vaccinated, though most were over 60 or with underlying health conditions.

"In simple words: That protection against infection is waning over time."

So far, the results of the booster campaign suggest the third dose is probably effective both in preventing infection and in reducing the number of severe breakthrough infections and hospitalization, Leshem said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-covid-delta-variant-booster-1.6159472

[grogu]