experts at the Hebrew University: Open immediately kindergartens in the green and yellow localities

The team of experts at the Hebrew University, in collaboration with Hadassah Hospital, calls on the government to immediately open kindergartens in the green and yellow localities, and then gradually open the education system as soon as possible - even before returning to routine in other areas.
According to the university's team of experts, "the damage involved in the sweeping closure of education frameworks outweighs the benefit." They call for a careful and differential opening of the education system as soon as possible.
The letter, sent to the government by members of the Interdisciplinary Team for Children and the Corona of Hadassah and the Hebrew University, reads: "We are aware of the difficult situation in which the hospitals are located, especially in the outbreak centers. "Immediately of the kindergartens in the first phase in green and yellow localities while adopting rules of hygiene, social distance and teaching abroad. At the same time, action must be taken to complete the vaccination campaign for all education workers.
The team of experts notes that indeed the proportion of children in the disease has increased, even among children up to the age of 9. According to the data presented, in the last week for the first time children aged 7-7 are diagnosed at a higher rate than adults. Until the third closure, children up to the age of 9 constituted about 10% of corona patients in Israel and today they are about 19% of patients.
However, the team of experts writes that "the educational, social, health and emotional damage of their closure in homes, as well as the damage to parents, will undoubtedly increase if the educational frameworks remain closed."
They add that "evidence from Israel and around the world indicates that the damage is materializing before our eyes. There is clear evidence of increased distress among children - including anxiety and eating and sleep disorders. In addition, there is evidence of risky behaviors such as alcohol, drug use and domestic violence. "Employees in the education system will be vaccinated, as well as parents and family members in risk groups. The public risk resulting from the opening of educational institutions will decrease."

7,668 Israelis were diagnosed yesterday (Wednesday) as positive for Corona. This is according to data from the Ministry of Health. A total of about 83,000 corona tests have been solved and the positive rate is 9.2% - slightly lower than in recent days.
1,772 corona patients are hospitalized in hospitals across the country - 1,132 of them in critical condition. 306 Corona patients are connected to respirators.
4,609 corona patients have died since the outbreak. Yesterday 34 patients died and on Sunday a record number of deaths was recorded - 76.
In terms of vaccines, close to 2,850,000 Israelis received the first dose and almost 1.5 million received the second dose. In total, 30.92% of Israelis received the first dose of the vaccine and 16.25% also the second.
In Omer, 41.41% of the residents received the second dose of vaccine, in Lehavim the figure is similar and in Meitar 33.57%. The city with the highest rate of recipients of the second dose is Kiryat Motzkin with 31.65%, followed by Kiryat Shmona, Ramat Hasharon, Kiryat Ono, Raanana, Herzliya, Carmiel and Dimona - where more than a quarter of the residents received the two vaccine doses.
Health Minister Yuli (Yoel) Edelstein noted this morning that "2,849,000 people have been vaccinated to date, of which about 1.5 million also received the second dose. Only yesterday, 200,000 were vaccinated. Vaccines were also opened to people aged 35 and over. I call on everyone - go get vaccinated at the same time. "To go down at the desired pace. Unfortunately, there is no escape from extending the closure. No one wanted that, but even everyone with eyes in their head understands that there is no other choice."
Meanwhile, the government will convene today to discuss the extension of the third closure, which has already been extended for a week and is due to end on Sunday at midnight, as well as the continued closure of Ben Gurion Airport - which, if not extended, will also end on that date. Meanwhile, yesterday, in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Knesset members clashed with Speaker Yaakov Asher, who tried to restrict the law that received Knesset support in its original version.

About a month since the "returning to life" vaccination campaign against the corona virus began, the director general of the Ministry of Health, Prof. Hezi Levy, announced its expansion and lowering the age of vaccinators to 35 in coordination with the HMOs. The change will take effect tomorrow. Clalit and Meuhedet began vaccinating younger insureds as early as last week without coordinating it with the state. Levy demanded that they stop this, and Clalit Health Insurance Fund did indeed stop scheduling appointments for insureds of the same age.
After the Ministry of Health approved the start of vaccinating those aged 40 and over, the Clalit Health Fund announced that they would also allow those up to the age of 35 to book an appointment for a vaccine against the virus. Clalit said that the vaccine itself will only be given to those who have reached the age of 40, just as instructed by the Ministry of Health, but the information systems have also been opened to younger people so as not to "waste