Netanyahu battles for cabinet majority to approve tighter lockdown

PM Binyamin Netanyahu, backing the Health Ministry, is seeking a full lockdown in the next week or two to combat the continuing coronavirus surge. This would entail shutting down the schools, to which most ministers object, as well as more businesses. The current lockdown, which went into force a week ago, was largely ignored by the public despite spreading infection. On Saturday, the Health Ministry counted 3,977 new cases, amounting to 5.3pc positive tests, 729 people seriously ill in hospital, with 179 on ventilators, and 3,391 deaths in total. Altogether 1,09 million covid vaccinations have been administered so far, although a slowdown is expected this month until stocks of the vaccine are replenished by the pharmaceutical firms.