Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 17, 2022
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 17, 2022
COVID czar says ‘too early’ to say 5th wave is over, 6th wave will come
Coronavirus czar Prof. Salman Zarka seen during a visit at a Safed hospital on August 24, 2021. (David Cohen/Flash90)
COVID czar Salman Zarka says it is “too early” to say that the country’s fifth coronavirus wave is already over, despite comments to the contrary made earlier today by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“It’s too early to declare that the fifth wave is behind us,” Zarka says in a live briefing. He adds that the virus is “still here,” noting that there are still more than 20,000 new COVID cases per day.
Zarka notes the importance of “remaining prepared for the next wave,” which he says is only a matter of time.
He notes the government decision to end the Green Pass vaccination proof system, and says that in the coming days a decision will be made on lifting further restrictions on travel and tourism.
