President of Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem says "the current wave of COVID-19 is less violent than the previous wave."

Police in southwest England said In Thursday night that six people were killed in the city of Plymouth in what was described as a "serious firearms incident", The Associated Press reports.The six dead included the suspected shooter.

"We'll Inly stop the epidemic in its tracks when everyone gets vaccinated," says Dr. Dror Dicker.

Speaking In Galei Tzahal this morning, Professor Nadav Davidovitch, a member of the government's advisory panel of experts In the coronavirus, stressed the importance of transparency in the government's handling of the epidemic.The professor was discussing the government's recent decision to expand the eligibility criteria for a third (or booster) shot of the COVID vaccine to the 50 to 60 age group."It's extremely important for us to ensure that political considerations do not enter the equation when making such decisions," Davidovitch said, "which is why I am delighted that this decision was made Inly after extensive discussions and an in-depth study of the issue."The content of our discussions should be made public," he added, "in order to enable people to see how much expertise is needed to manage the epidemic."

Around 2000 dunams of forest and brush In the Ramim ridge in the Naftali hills went up in smoke overnight, Kan News reports, apparently due to negligence In the part of the IDF.The area concerned was Ine that had been restored in the past 15 years, following the Second Lebanon War.

According to a report In Channel 12 News, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife were recently hosted in the home of Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) in the Jerusalem suburb of Mevasseret Zion.

Most Israelis say fourth lockdown would represent failure by government to handle COVID crisis - but plurality back lockdown.

Labor leader and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli has received a COVID booster shot today, after the government expanded its eligibility criteria for the third vaccine dose to those between the ages of 50 and 60."The virus is running rampant," she said by way of explanation.