Israel's COVID relapse worsens as infection rate exceeds 4%

Health authorities confirm 870 virus cases out of 21,388 tests conducted since midnight; PM adjourns virus Cabinet meeting regarding spike in infections after lawmakers fail to reach an agreement on whether to keep shopping centers open

Ynet|12.06.20 | 18:34

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The Health Ministry reported Sunday evening that the national infection rate has surpassed 4% for the first time in weeks as COVID-19 continues spreading across Israel.
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Health authorities confirmed 870 cases of coronavirus out of 21,388 tests conducted since midnight, meaning 4.1% of all tests came back positive.
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Coronavirus ward at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon 
(Photo: AFP)
There are currently 554 coronavirus patients hospitalized across the country, among them 239 patients in serious condition and 85 patients on ventilators.
Since the onset of the pandemic in Israel, 2,915 Israelis have passed away due to COVID-19. 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu adjourned a Coronavirus Cabinet meeting regarding the spike in infections after lawmakers failed after a 3-hour-long discussion to reach an agreement on whether to keep shopping centers open.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 
(Photo: GPO)
The Cabinet will convene again at 7pm Monday and a government pilot program to keep some shopping malls open under health guidelines was extended by 24 hours.
National Security Council Deputy Director Eitan Ben David said in the meeting that the pilot has "met all the required criteria and was a success, proving that malls are the best managed and safest trading place in the field."
Head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price said that Israel's exit strategy from the COVID lockdown cannot solely no rely on vaccines, the first batches of which are supposed to arrive in Israel in the coming weeks.
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Head of Public Health Services at the Health Ministry Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price 
(Photo: GPO)
She said that significant distribution of the vaccine, which has to be administered in two doses several weeks apart, will not begin before March, assuming the vaccine proves effective and the public cooperates.
A senior Health Ministry official told Ynet on Sunday Israel is on the precipice of a third wave of coronavirus infections.
"If it looks like an outbreak, sounds like an outbreak and feels like an outbreak, it's a new outbreak. Enough closing our eyes," he said.

Itamar Eichner contributed to this story.

1Comments

blame the various ministries & protestors

After the second lockdown there was supposed to be a 9 point plan for a slow responsible reopening of the economy rather than giving into public pressure for political reasons the way they did after the first which had got the infection rat to less than 20 cases a day. Now the 9 point plan was torn up and the government is once again rushing to reopen which is largely the fault of the finance ministry along with the protestors because for months there has been a fear of a fourth election and no MKS want to upset voters by keeping the economy shut down if there are regular protests complaining about the handling of corona. There is also the big businesses who are not interested in following the rules because they can either afford the fines like IKEA or are going to open anyway like BIG. Government seems to have the attitude we can take on the small business but not the big companies with deep pockets so better to change the rules to allow them to open. If there is a third lockdown then reopening must be 100% based on practicality not jobs, money or politics. The government must fine anybody not wearing a mask that is not covering both nose and mouth, right now you have a mask around your chin or even in your pocket police rarely do anything about it. The fines must be increased for everybody and if the big businesses are refusing to stay closed then it must be possible to press criminal changes against the CEO of the company potentially even face jail time then they will follow the rules. Government must ignore protestor demands and adopt a zero tolerance attitude to rule breakers and take a responsible attitude to reopening that puts getting the number of cases down and keeping it that way even if it is going to be damaging to the economy because a full lockdown harms the economy much more than limited opening does and the public like it even less.

zionist forever| 12.07.20