(Bloomberg) -- Israel's vaccination drive has reduced confirmed Covid-19 cases among older Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
Netanyahu cited a 45% drop in confirmed cases and a 26% decline in hospitalizations of seriously ill patients among people age 60 and older in the past 16 days. Israel's vaccination drive, which began in late December, started with this age group, and more than 80% have had at least one dose of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine.
The prime minister spoke at a cabinet meeting called to discuss whether to extend a six-week lockdown, which is due to end Friday morning. Netanyahu and health officials want to extend the lockdown through the weekend, as the rate of infection and the number of severe cases among the broader public remain high.
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