The Health Ministry on Sunday evening said 254 coronavirus patients are in serious condition in Israel, with 70 people on ventilators - an increase of 15 since Saturday.
Two more people also died Sunday from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 409 people since the start of the pandemic.
Two more people also died Sunday from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 409 people since the start of the pandemic.
Only 40 people were considered seriously ill one month ago, a number that has grown six-fold, while the number of those on ventilators has tripled in the space of three weeks.
Since Saturday, 1,437 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed bringing the number of those currently battling the virus to 28,037.
The Knesset Coronavirus Committee failed Sunday to reach any resolution regarding new restrictions imposed on the public in efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The committee heard top Health Ministry officials and the Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch who agreed with some of the concerns raised by the committee, such as the call to close off access to the country's beaches on the weekends during Israel's hot summer, to avoid crowds congregating in one place. Kisch agreed that beaches were relatively safe and should be kept open to the public.
MK's cited research indicating most contagions happen in closed spaces and not outside.
The coronavirus committee is due to resume deliberations on Monday before they vote on the government's proposals.
First published: 20:42, 07.19.20