2-4 mn Israelis to be infected with Covid amid Omicron spread: PM

Jerusalem, Jan 10 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has warned that 2 million to 4 million Israelis are predicted to be infected with coronavirus during the current outbreak mainly caused by the highly infectious Omicron variant.

"Information presented at a cabinet meeting indicates that in Israel, overall 2-4 million citizens will be infected in the current wave," Xinhua news agency quoted Bennett's statement on Sunday on his Facebook page.

Addressing a wide public criticism of the government's complicated and frequently changing restrictions, Bennett explained that Omicron is "contiguous to an extent we did not know", saying the restrictions have been frequently updated to adapt to the fast spread of Omicron.

Bennett has led a policy based on keeping the economy open while aggressively promoting vaccination.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Israel, with a population of 9.45 million, surpassed 1.5 million on Sunday, according to the latest figures issued by the country's health ministry.