Israel's serious virus caseload drops under 600 for 1st time since December's end

According to Health Ministry data, 586 Israelis hospitalized in serious condition with coronavirus and 208 of them were connected to ventilators, 905 new virus cases detected in previous 24 hours
Yaron Druckman|
For the first time since the end of December, the number of serious COVID-19 patients in Israel dropped under 600, the Health Ministry reported Tuesday evening.
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  • According to ministry data, 586 Israelis were hospitalized in serious condition with coronavirus and 208 of them were connected to ventilators for respiratory assistance.
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    Coronavirus ward at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon
    Coronavirus ward at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon
    Coronavirus ward at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon
    (Photo: AFP)
    Out of some 40,000 coronavirus tests conducted in the previous 24 hours, 2.3% came back positive which accounts for 905 new cases.
    The national COVID-19 death toll has reached 6,047 fatalities since the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel, with 272 Israelis succumbing to the disease since the beginning of March.
    Also on Tuesday, 8,500 more Israelis have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since midnight and more than 32,000 others got the second booster shot. In total, more than 55% of Israelis were vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine and 46.5% also received the second shot.
    Meanwhile, Israel has so far spent about NIS 2.6 billion (approx. $790 million) for the procurement of some 15 million coronavirus vaccines, a Finance Ministry official said Tuesday.
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    Health worker administers COVID-19 vaccine in Jerusalem
    (Photo: Sahlev Shalom)
    The official told a hearing of Knesset's Finance Committee that the state is expected to spend another NIS 2.5 billion to purchase another round of vaccines should they be needed during the summer.
    The green pass issued to Israelis who have received both doses of the vaccine or recovered from the disease is only valid for six months.
    If its calculations are correct, the country will need another 5 million doses to fully vaccinate the rest of its adult population as well as Palestinian and foreign laborers that hold permits to work in Israel which would cost about NIS 900 million.
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