Israel recorded almost 3,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row on Wednesday (Dec. 29), as the infection rate continued to climb. Senior Health Ministry officials are now reportedly weighing a switch to a policy of reaching herd immunity through mass infection.
The ministry said 2.48% of all tests came back positive on Tuesday (Dec. 28), a new high for the current wave driven by the Omicron variant. The R0 figure, representing the average number of people each virus carrier infects, grew further from 1.47 to 1.53, indicating the outbreak is intensifying.
However, the massive rise in infections has yet to translate to a rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations and serious cases.
In light of the lack of immediate rise in serious illness, Channel 12 news reported that senior officials in the Health Ministry have recently raised the option of switching to a “mass infection model.”