As Israel enters a third strict lockout amid the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be enough vaccines by the end of March to vaccinate all citizens over the age of 16, according to a report.
“We will be the first country to emerge from the coronavirus,” Netanyahu said Thursday night, the Jerusalem Post reported. “We will vaccinate all relevant populations and anyone who wants can be vaccinated.”
He said there was expected to be another shipment of vaccines on Sunday, with many more to follow, adding that an agreement had been reached with Pfizer to send more doses, and faster, that would put Israel in a ‘model nation’ changes to defeat the outbreak.
“This is a breakthrough that will take us out of the coronavirus crisis and bring us back to life,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by the news agency. “This is how we will open the economy, go back to work, to the synagogue … for the lives we love and miss.”
He added that Israel ‘will share the statistics with Pfizer and humanity as a whole that will help strategies to defeat the virus. We can do this because our healthcare system is one of the most advanced in the world. ‘
The Ministry of Health later made it clear that only “general data” would be provided to Pfizer, including data on pandemic diseases. No personal data will be disclosed.
Netanyahu said he spoke to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla 17 times, including on the last day, the Jerusalem Post reported.
On Thursday morning, health officials said 1,590,000 Israelis had been stabbed – about 17 percent of the population.
The latest exclusion, which began on Friday, will last at least two weeks.