New daily novel coronavirus infections in Israel are approaching record levels, despite the country’s largely successful vaccination campaign and the recent rollout of the world’s first widespread booster shot.
The spread of the virus has been driven by a surge in the Delta variant — even among the vaccinated. The government recorded 9,831 new cases on Monday last week, the highest single-day figure since Jan. 18, when 10,118 new cases were detected, Israel’s record for the pandemic. In between, Israel led one of the world’s fastest vaccination drives that seemed to turn the tide on the pandemic. A low of a dozen new cases on May 22 kicked off what was expected to be a go-go summer of tourism, concerts and the giddy return of crowds to Israel’s restaurants and outdoor marketplaces.
On June 21, the government registered 125 new cases, more than double the previous day’s count of 49, a snapshot of the spike that has continued since then.
Photo: Reuters 照片:路透
Mandatory masks and green passports, which had been lifted as infections bottomed out in May, are again required to enter public indoor spaces.
More than 5.9 million of Israel’s 9.3 million people have received at least a single dose of vaccine, and the government’s data show that the shots help people avoid severe illness. A disproportionate number of people hospitalized in serious condition are unvaccinated. Morbidity remains lower than at Israel’s peak. Still, officials have pointed to evidence that the initial round of vaccines become less effective over time.
The drive for third jabs comes despite the World Health Organization’s appeal for wealthy countries like Israel to share their vaccines with poor nations that have not yet inoculated their citizens.
(AP)
以色列的疫苗接種計畫雖然取得很大的成功,且成為第一個廣泛施打加強劑〔即第三劑疫苗〕的國家,但以色列的每日新冠病毒感染人數正逼近最高紀錄。
Delta變種病毒的激增造成了這次病毒散播——即便是已接種疫苗的人也無法倖免。以色列政府上週一記錄到九千八百三十一個新病例,這是自一月十八日一萬零一百一十八例確診以來的最高記錄。在這兩個疫情高峰之間,以色列領導了世界上最快速的疫苗接種行動之一,似乎扭轉了疫情的走向。到了五月二十二日,新增病例只有十幾個,以色列民眾開始了活躍的盛夏,準備迎接重返旅遊、音樂會、餐廳與戶外市集的歡樂人潮。
六月二十一日,政府記錄了一百二十五例新增確診,是前一天四十九例的兩倍多,這是此後確診數持續飆升的縮影。
五月時由於確診人數達新低,以色列政府取消了強制配戴口罩,以及綠色護照等規定,但現在隨著感染人數觸底反彈,進入公共室內空間又必須再遵循這些規範。
在以色列九百三十萬的人口中,有超過五百九十萬人接種了至少一劑疫苗;政府數據顯示,疫苗有助於避免重症。染疫後成重症而住院的患者,有很大比例是未接種疫苗者。發病率現仍低於以色列疫情的高峰期。不過,官員們指出,有證據顯示,時間一久,首波疫苗接種後的效果會變得越來越差。
儘管世界衛生組織呼籲,像以色列這樣的富裕國家應將疫苗分享給人民尚未接種疫苗的貧窮國家,但施打第三劑的計畫已在進行。
(台北時報林俐凱編譯)
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