(Bloomberg) --

Israel’s coronavirus czar said the country should begin considering mandatory vaccination now that the new omicron variant has emerged. 

“Mandatory vaccination needs to be considered, whether through legislation or otherwise, especially given the fact that not only is the pandemic here, but I fear it will get worse,” Salman Zarka said on 103FM radio. He said he changed his mind following the appearance of the new variant, which has been identified in several Israelis. 

A very small number of countries have made vaccines mandatory, though others have required it of federal workers. 

The unvaccinated account for a large percentage of Israel’s serious Covid cases, according to Health Ministry figures. About 680,000 of Israel’s 9.3 million people haven’t been inoculated at all, Zarka said. 

Countries around the world, including Israel, have restricted incoming and outgoing travel since the emergence of the omicron strain. 

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