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Dutch ease rules, Israeli kids may get jab

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Israel is planning a new round of vaccinations in six months, possibly involving children.
Camera IconIsrael is planning a new round of vaccinations in six months, possibly involving children. Credit: AP

Lockdown measures are set to be eased in the Netherlands as coronavirus fatalities hit a new high in Turkey and Israeli officials announced a plan for a second round of jabs in six months that will likely include children.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday that curbs will be lifted from next week as pressure to reopen society mounts despite high infection rates.

A countrywide night-time curfew that has been in place for three months will be lifted on April 28 while bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve small groups on outdoor terraces between noon and 6pm.

Universities and colleges will gradually reopen and stores will be allowed to admit more customers.

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"It won't happen without taking risks but the risks must be responsible. That is and will remain a balancing act for now," Rutte told a news conference.

"We have to be very careful and cautious."

Coronavirus infections and the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital wards and intensive care units have climbed to their highest levels since January in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said authorities were planning a second round of COVID-19 vaccination in six months, by which point they expect children to be approved by health regulators to receive jabs.

About 81 per cent of Israeli citizens or residents over 16 - the age group eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in Israel - have received both doses in one of the world's fastest rollouts.

Israel has said it plans to administer vaccines to 12- to 15-year-olds upon approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech requested emergency FDA authorisation earlier this month for use in that age group.

In televised remarks on Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel had agreed with Pfizer and Moderna to buy 16 million more doses for the country's 9.3 million population, adding: "We are preparing for another vaccination campaign in six months' time."

"Get your shoulders ready and your muscles, if you want, and also the kids, because we estimate there will be approved vaccines by then, for children," he added.

Inoculating children and young people is considered a critical step toward reaching herd immunity and taming the pandemic, according to many experts.

Pfizer says its vaccine is safe, effective and produces robust antibody responses in 12- to 15-year-olds.

Turkey recorded 346 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Tuesday, registering the highest daily death toll since the beginning of the pandemic.

The data also showed the country recorded 61,028 new coronavirus cases in the same period.

The total number of cases stood at 4,384,624 while the total death toll rose to 36,613, according to the data.

Turkey currently ranks fourth globally in the number of daily cases based on a seven-day average, according to a Reuters tally.

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