It was the first country to vaccinate, the first to reopen, then the first to widely implement a booster shot.
Now Israel is returning to life close to normal only six weeks after the peak of its worst COVID-19 wave yet.
In mid-September, new infections of the Delta variant had surpassed 10,000 per day and hospitals were groaning under the pressure.
But today, its restaurants are bustling, cinemas and theatres are packed, university lecture halls are full and the major airport is heaving.
Deaths and new infections have plummeted to the single and triple digits, and the country will be welcoming overseas tourists from November 1.
As Australia prepares to begin delivery of a third dose of the vaccine from next week, Israel’s turnaround offers a glimpse into a possible future of the pandemic.
So how did the country go from a cautionary tale to a success story in less than two months? The answer lies only partially in vaccines.
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