Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Tuesday with the Director of the Israel Institute for Biological Research Prof. Shmuel Shapiro, and heard from him updates on the progress of the Institute's research and development efforts on vaccines and anti-body treatments for the coronavirus.
Prof. Shapiro noted that significant advances have been made in pre-vaccination planning and are currently preparing a formula for animal trials.
Earlier, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett delivered his daily update on the Israeli effort to curb the coronavirus.
"There's light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel," Bennett declared, adding that "there is no exponential growth in the rate of infection and mortality in Israel. We are the country with the lowest mortality rate in relation to the number of patients in countries with significant infection, less than Germany even: 0.3 percent."
Bennett was asked whether a full closure would be imposed on Bnei Brak, saying police had expanded enforcement in the city and the health care system is focused on conducting more tests. "If it's necessary to impose a curfew on a neighborhood or building, we won't hesitate," he said.
The Defense Minister addressed the economic crisis and said: "If we don't understand the tremendous distress of those who fear they won't have money to pay rent, there may be more deaths from suicide than from coronavirus.
"The time has come for the public sector to step under the private sector's stretcher. Facing the choice of a narrow one-year government or a broad four-year one, a broad government is better," Bennett added.