Germany is sending doctors, nurses, ventilators and hospital bells beds on a military plane due to land in the next hour.

Portugal's ambassador says that the country will be forever grateful for the aid.

Portugal has reported close to half of all its cove in 19 deaths in just the past month.

And let's bring in DW John Philip Schultz, who is joining us from the airport in Lisbon right now.

John Philip.

How important is this help?

It's urgently needed.

Most intensive care units are full here in Portugal.

Sometimes patients have to wait for 67 hours in the ambulances in front off the hospitals.

I spoke toe a nebulous driver last night, and she said the situation is really a nightmare and any kind off help is appreciated.

Human resource is, uh, medical equipment, everything.

I also talked to other medical professionals who say that the situation starts to remind them of what we saw in Bergamo in northern Italy, a TSA beginning off the pandemic in in March when, really, the health system pretty much collapsed and was overwhelmed by the pressure.

Why does Portugal have, you know, one of the highest death rates in the past two weeks around the world?

Why has it been hit so hard?

It seems like it's been something like a perfect storm evolving here in Portugal.

Uh, the Portuguese government relaxed restrictions during Christmas time, and this was exactly the time when the new, more aggressive strength off the virus started to spread in the country.

Portugal has close links with the UK, so the British very intense spread here as a rapid speech.

Also, the Portuguese health system is quite weak, one of the weakest in Europe, especially after massive cost cuts in the past years.

What?

How are people coping with the third wave?

Okay, there's a There's an impressive wave of solidarity in the country.

I've seen many small projects, small initiatives in the past days.

Uh, when people try to help medical stuff, they try to help relatives off the victims.

Generally, I also think that the Portuguese, uh, really follow the methods put in place by the government.

There are some critical voices that they're still too much traffic on the streets.

Considering that we are no complete lock down here.

Of course, there's a great amount of fear that the worst is still to come here and that the crisis is far from over.

DWS John Philip Schultz in Lisbon Thank you Well, Israel has vaccinated a greater percentage of its population than any other country.

But the number of new infections is still high, and the Cabinet is set to convene today to decide whether to extend the lock down.

Authorities say that they are determined to contain the spread of the disease while immunizing as many people as possible.

As GW's Tanya Kramer reports, senior citizens are among those suffering the most from the pandemic.

It's been a long, rather lonely year for Ruth Rogers.

Since the outbreak off the coronavirus pandemic last year, the 88 year old Israeli American has been mostly confined to her flat.

The Internet has been her main source of contact with family and friends, but now she has new hope.

A week ago, she received her second vaccine shut.

They say two weeks after the second vaccine, so what?

Maybe you can come and visit May I'm very excited about seeing people in person.

I'm really excited, excited about it.

It's really, really been hard not to see people.

It's a step forward, but she's still very cautious.

A large majority off Israel's most vulnerable population over 70 has received their second vaccine shot.

A so called green passport confirms the vaccination, but for now, that doesn't mean any extra privileges.

While Israel's rapid vaccination drive made headlines, the country had to extend its locked down once again to tackle a third wave off the pandemic.

The disease is rampant, and, as you know, we have the variants, the South African variant, and we have the, uh, the Los Angeles variant and the British variant, which are, which is the dominant currently three diseases spreading pretty quickly, Uh, yet the vaccines are spreading quickly as well, and we're racing.

The virus was the vaccine at the It Section Mere Medical Center, a large hospital in the center of the country.

Doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to cope with a constant flow off patients in serious condition.

January has been the deadliest month yet off the pandemic.

All of us, my colleagues, doctors and nurses see a lot of cases here.

Critical cases and at younger ages, very big limiter Syrym.

A few 100 m from the covert 19 ward.

It's mostly young people waiting for their vaccination.

Last week, people over 35 were called up to get their first jab.

Over three million out of Israel's nine million citizens have received at least their first vaccine does in Jerusalem.

Ruth Rogers and her caregiver Mary are on their way to local shopping center.

What might seem ordinary has become special.

Ruth hasn't been here since March last year.

Strange, very strange, very strange.

I hope in a couple of weeks I'll go into the store and pick out stuff, and now it's a whole different experience for me.

Now I feel back.

Thio back to the real world amid the uncertainty.