Israel's coronavirus cabinet will meet later today headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reportedly wants to tighten the lockdown, which began last Friday. Netanyahu told the cabinet yesterday, "The reason for the infection rate is gatherings of people and not wearing masks."
3,843 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Israel on Monday, the Ministry of Health reports. 33,119 tests were conducted yesterday with 11.3% of them positive.
The figure is well down on last Tuesday's record 5,533 infections, and the lockdown will only start affecting numbers after 7-14 days, but the government is getting anxious about the rapid rise in seriously ill patients
653 people are hospitalized in serious condition with Covid-19, up 10 from yesterday, and up 120 over the past week. Some health officials forecast that this number could reach 900 within the next two weeks. The seriously ill patients include 169 patients on ventilators, up from 140 a week ago. There have been 1,273 fatalities in Israel since the start of the pandemic, up 17 from yesterday, and up 132 over the past week. More than 50,000 people in Israel currently have the virus and 192,579 Israelis have been diagnosed with Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
Some hospitals including Sha'arei Zedek in Jerusalem are refusing to take more Covid-19 patients because they are filled to capacity.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 22, 2020
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