The Ministry of Health updated today (Friday) that the variant discovered in South African countries has been identified in Israel. This is currently a circular that returned from Malawi and in addition there is a suspicion of two more cases of returnees from abroad who are currently waiting for the results of their flooring and they have been sent for isolation.
Alongside this, the Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, held another discussion this morning regarding the new corona strain (B.1.1529), together with the Minister of Health and professionals at various levels. This, after being updated during the night on locating a verified patient who was found to be a carrier of the new strain.
“A few weeks ago, when we did the ‘Omega’ national exercise for a new lethal variant scenario, it would have seemed a bit detached. Needless to say, this is one of the most significant moves that has prepared us exactly for the situation we are now, perhaps, in. We returned to insights from the exercise last night Implement quickly, “Bennett said at the hearing.
“The new variant is highly contagious, at a much faster rate than the Delta. We are currently fed by the South African health system, which is doing a very impressive job, but we do not yet have the full information. In the coming days our knowledge will expand very rapidly. At what rate, whether it is more deadly or not, how it affects children, etc., he added.
“During the night I was informed that a verified patient was found here in Israel, which is disturbing. Our overriding principle at the moment is to act quickly, strongly and now. Especially when it comes to entering and leaving Israel, until the situation clears up. I ask everyone to be fully prepared and harnessed for work around the clock, “Bennett concluded.
Yesterday, Bennett consulted with the Minister of Health, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, the Head of Public Health at the Ministry of Health and the Minister of Defense, regarding the new strain.
In addition, the Prime Minister instructed to examine the immediate halting of flights from these countries to Israel and from Israel to them, or the application of another outline to prevent the spread of the strain in Israel.
In a follow-up discussion chaired by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health, it was determined that the following countries were at this stage defined as red: South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Aswatini. Foreigners from these countries will not be able to enter Israel.
Meanwhile, the variant currently known as version B.1.1.529, carries within it a high number of mutations and may lead to additional disease waves, which will be centered on vaccine-resistant viruses. So far it has been discovered that the version in question has 32 different mutations in the protein that the various vaccines fight.
According to scientists, the mutations can affect the ability of the virus to infect cells in the body, but can also affect the immune cells to attack the disease.
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