Covid-19: Over 495,000 persons vaccinated in 9 days in Israel as infections surge

Covid-19 vaccine

Covid-19: Over 495,000 persons vaccinated in 9 days in Israel as infections surge

No fewer than 115,000 people had been administered the COVID-19 vaccines in Israel in the last 24 hours.

Covid-19 vaccine
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives a coronavirus vaccine at the Sheba Medical Center, the country’s largest hospital, in Ramat Gan near the coastal city of Tel Aviv, on December 19, 2020. – Netanyahu, 71, and Israel’s health minister were injected with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine live on TV at Sheba Medical Center. Each recipient must receive a booster shot in three weeks for optimal protection from the novel coronavirus. (Photo by AMIR COHEN / POOL / AFP)

The Israeli Ministry of Health which released the figure on Tuesday added that the total number of those vaccinated had gone up to over 495,000. This number includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The ministry said that it was part of the progress recorded from Israel’s mass vaccination campaign that began on Dec. 20.

It said that the priority groups that had been getting inoculated include: medical workers, students of medical schools, geriatric medical workers and government officials.

“More than 115,000 citizens were vaccinated yesterday and as of today, around 495,000 people were vaccinated.

“In the nine days since the vaccination campaign started, more people were vaccinated than infected since the epidemic start,” the ministry said in a statement.

In spite of the vaccination campaign being in full swing and a lockdown in effect, the daily increase in COVID-19 cases in Israel continues to grow.

As of Tuesday, the Israeli toll had reached 408,990 cases, including more than 5,400 cases confirmed over the past days. (Sputnik/NAN)