Israelis Cautiously Optimistic as Virus Ebbs

Israel’s government will convene on Sunday to determine when and how to open up the nation’s business sector, as coronavirus figures continue to improve, injecting health officials and decision-makers with guarded optimism. While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and some at the Health Ministry still insist on waiting another two weeks before allowing stores, shopping centers and culture venues to open, Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz and Jerusalem’s Finance Ministry hope to secure some easement in the country’s ongoing total lockdown, imposed for the past two months. As Israel’s world-leading vaccination effort continues, the Jewish state has notched over the past few days an encouraging streak of declining deaths, serious cases and new infections. On Saturday, there were fewer than 1,000 patients hospitalized in serious condition, a first for the country since early January. About 25% of the country has been inoculated with both Pfizer shots.