COVID-19

Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, on March 22, 2023. (Alberto Pezzali/AP)

June 15, 2023, 12:42 pm

British MPs find Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over ‘partygate’ as PM

Report says former premier’s action were so bad they warrant a 90-day suspension from the legislature; Johnson blasts committee as a ‘kangaroo court’ that conducted a ‘witch hunt’

By DANICA KIRKA and SYLVIA HUI

Huda Zaqqout reads from a large copy of a Muslim holy book at her home, a few weeks before she is slated to travel to Mecca for the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj, in Gaza City, May 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

June 15, 2023, 12:08 pm

‘Now I can die in peace’: After long waits, new pilgrims ready for COVID-free hajj

After 3 years in which pandemic limited attendance and long waiting lists swelled further, Muslims from Gaza, Indonesia and the US prepare for once-in-a-lifetime visit to Mecca

By Agencies and ToI Staff

In this file photo taken on February 10, 2022 Elon Musk pauses and looks down as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas. (Jim Watson/AFP)

May 30, 2023, 11:22 pm

Health Ministry calls out Elon Musk for sharing ‘fake news’ on COVID-19

After Twitter owner gave his support to tweet from far-right site claiming no data to show young people died from coronavirus, ministry warns misinformation is ‘dangerous’

By Gabe Friedman

An illustrative photo of a classroom in Modiin on January 30, 2022. (Flash90)

May 16, 2023, 3:01 pm

‘We’ve gone back 20 years’: Reading proficiency in Israel down markedly after COVID

Fourth-graders suffer one of the worst drops in performance among OECD states in new international assessment of literacy levels

By ToI Staff

File: Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine an update on the ongoing Federal response to COVID-19, June 16, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

May 6, 2023, 3:43 am

Head of top US public health agency resigns, citing pandemic transition

CDC’s Dr. Rochelle Walensky, a key figure in Biden administration’s response to COVID, to step down in June; US president thanks doctor for her ‘unwavering focus’

By Agencies

Magen David Adom medical team members at a drive-through coronavirus testing site in Tel Aviv, on March 22, 2020 (Flash90)

May 6, 2023, 2:41 am

As global COVID emergency ends, in Israel, grim milestone underlines lurking threat

Israel confirms death of its 12,500th coronavirus victim this week, as WHO says pandemic no longer a global health crisis but still poses danger

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Health workers wearing personal protective equipment take part in a mock drill to check preparations of COVID-19 facilities at a hospital in Mumbai on April 10, 2023. (Punit PARANJPE / AFP)

May 5, 2023, 6:02 pm

COVID no longer a global emergency, WHO says, but pandemic not over

World body downgrades health crisis more than three years after first declaring it, notes most countries have returned to pre-pandemic footing, but warns that threat remains

By Maria Cheng and Jamey Keaten

A teacher leads his students at the Virgin Mary Procession in Haifa, Israel on April 30, 2023. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)

May 3, 2023, 1:39 pm

Daily Briefing May 3: Israel’s growing opioid problem; Haifa’s flag-bearing Catholics

Health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand discusses addiction, and Sheba’s collaboration with Fauci, as religion correspondent Canaan Lidor looks at JFNA in Israel and interfaith Haifa

By ToI Staff

Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (left), receives the Champion of Global Human Health Award from Professor Yitshak Kreiss, director general of Sheba Medical Center, Washington, April 30, 2023. (Ron Sachs/CNP)

May 1, 2023, 4:51 pm

Sheba Medical Center presents Dr. Anthony Fauci with award for COVID cooperation

In one of his final acts as director of US infectious diseases institute, Fauci signed an agreement for joint research partnership utilizing Sheba’s unique blood sample bank

By Renee Ghert-Zand

Prof. Avi Rivkind of Hadassah Medical Center (left) and Dr. Khetam Hussein of Rambam Medical Center are among the torch-lighters at the national ceremony marking Israel's 75th Independence Day, April 25, 2023. (Courtesy)

April 25, 2023, 3:00 pm

Doctors tapped for Independence Day torchlighting hope to heal fractured nation

Shock trauma pioneer Prof. Avi Rivkind of Hadassah and infection control expert Dr. Khetam Hussein of Rambam inspired by Israeli medicine, hope for unity on Independence Day

By Renee Ghert-Zand

Vials of a potential coronavirus vaccine are seen on an assembly line in a photograph released by the Israel Institute for Biological Research on October 25, 2020. (Defense Ministry)

March 15, 2023, 12:58 am

Researchers oversold Israeli COVID shot, wasted millions on flop — comptroller

State ombudsman faults Defense Ministry institute for mishandling project and misleading officials on costs, timetable and ability to produce homegrown vaccine

By ToI Staff

Avi Schiffman (right) with Internet Activism team members (from left): Will Depue, Anant Sinha, and Krish Shah. Team member Adrian Gri not pictured. (Courtesy of Avi Schiffman)

March 1, 2023, 3:22 am

How a young Harvard dropout and friends are set to level-up global humanitarian aid

The ‘whiz kid’ who developed the world’s first COVID-tracking site is ramping up his organization, Internet Activism, and helping victims of Turkey’s earthquake and Ukraine’s war

By Renee Ghert-Zand

In this photo taken Thursday, February 23, 2017, researchers work in a lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. (Chinatopix/AP)

February 27, 2023, 1:22 am

US agency believes COVID-19 likely escaped from Chinese lab — report

Based on unspecified new intelligence, US Energy Department now thinks lab leak theory most likely explanation for pandemic, but expresses ‘low confidence’ over finding

By AFP

A man receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at a Maccabi vaccination center in Modi'in, on January 6, 2022, soon after fourth shots were introduced. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

February 14, 2023, 8:23 pm

Health Ministry announces cancellation of few remaining COVID restrictions

Obligatory home isolation for those with the virus to end in May, rule requiring masks in medical facilities and retirement homes discontinued this week

By Luke Tress

File: A nurse prepares a vaccine at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, December 31, 2020. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

January 27, 2023, 1:39 am

FDA adviser: Israel’s fast actions, big data, gave US a ‘window to future of COVID’

Acting chair of FDA vaccine advisory committee hopes Israel’s stellar performance in COVID research will persist in other topics and have ‘continuing effect’ on US health policy

By Nathan Jeffay