Israel's coronavirus tsar warns against easing rules and fears fifth wave

Salman Zarka highlights need for caution while cases remain relatively high

A health worker tests a person for Covid-19 at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Israeli government data shows the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was less effective against the Delta strain.

Israel led the way with one of the world’s most effective coronavirus inoculation drives.

The country is now encouraging its young people to get vaccinated and offering third booster shots to the most vulnerable of its population.

Masked travellers exit Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.

Israel reimposed indoor mask-wearing less than two weeks after lifting the measure because of the surge of the Delta strain.

A health worker prepares a vaccine against Covid-19, as Israel continues to fight against the spread of the Delta variant, in Tel Aviv.

Israel's pandemic response task force said the rise in cases was not matched by increasing hospital admissions or deaths.

Israeli youths arrive to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in Tel Aviv.

The campaign to encourage the vaccination of teenagers is well under way in Tel Aviv.

An Israeli medical worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 shot.

Despite the indications of increased infections in Israel, data shows vaccines are providing strong protection from severe illness.

A leading Israeli health official has cautioned his country against any further easing of coronavirus rules and said he fears a potential fifth wave of Covid-19 could hit the nation.

Prof Salman Zarka said there were lessons to be learnt from lifting rules too soon. Israel reported 734 new cases on Saturday, in a country of 9.4 million – down from 11,000 a day during a surge last month.

“We are optimistic and we see the downward trend is continuing but the fourth wave is still here,” he told Kan public radio on Sunday.

“We also have a lesson to learn, to remind everyone we exited too quickly from the third wave.

"We thought we beat the coronavirus and then the Delta variant came in the fourth wave.

“We need to do it slowly, carefully, keeping in mind [a potential] fifth wave, God forbid.”

Israel has battled surges in daily cases throughout much of the summer, despite having one of the world's highest vaccination rates.

The government dropped most coronavirus rules, including the mandatory wearing of masks, in April – as the Delta variant hit the region – then was forced to reintroduce masks in June.

The Times of Israel reported that the Cabinet is expected to ease remaining restrictions in the coming days, including abolishing rules limiting large outdoor gatherings to between 1,000 and 5,000 participants, and limits on event halls of 400 people in closed spaces and 500 in open spaces, once the average daily new case rate drops to fewer than 1,000.

Prof Zarka, as the Israeli government's chief Covid-19 officer, co-ordinates national efforts to tackle the pandemic and advises ministers on the most appropriate response.

He previously said he expected that by late 2021 or early 2022, Israel would be giving shots specially adapted to cope better with variants. He last month gave a warning of how under strain hospitals were.

“The story of this outbreak is the story of those who choose to not be vaccinated,” Prof Zarka said.

The drop to less than 1,000 cases per day is a significant improvement on August and September. In the first week of September, Israel had about 1,100 people in hospital in almost 700 considered "seriously ill".

Israel has administered at least 15,700,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines so far, and nearly 40 per cent of its population have had a booster shot, Reuters reported this month.