Israel's tally of 'red' COVID hotspots drops from 34 to 9 in just two weeks

Health Ministry also reports 447 patients in serious condition, with 186 connected to ventilators; country's 'R' number drops to 0.7; Jerusalem only city to report over 1,000 active cases
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The Health Ministry on Monday morning reported the number of local authorities categorized as "red," indicating a high coronavirus rate, has dropped over the past two weeks from 34 to just nine - another sign that the country's current infection wave appears to be on the decline.
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  • Jerusalem is the only local authority to report over 1,000 active cases this week, with 2,619 patients. The capital is followed by Tel Aviv with 907 active cases, Be'er Sheva with 700, Rahat with 687 and Bnei Brak with 629.
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    מחלקת קורונה בהדסה
    מחלקת קורונה בהדסה
    COVID ward at Hadassah Medical Center
    (Photo: Amit Shabi)
    The ministry also reported that Israel's coronavirus contagion rate dropped to below 2% for the second day in a row.
    With 78,787 tests conducted on Sunday and 1,457 returning positive, the contagion rate stands at 1.88%
    There are currently 447 coronavirus patients in serious condition receiving treatment across the country's hospitals, 186 of them are on ventilators.
    The nation's "R" number - which indicates how many people on average a single COVID patient infects - has also decreased and now stands at 0.7.
    The number of people in Israel who died due to virus-related complications since the start of the pandemic rose by four on Sunday and now stands at 7,920. Three of victims were unvaccinated, but one had received the booster.
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    נבדקים במתחם בדיקות בירושלים
    נבדקים במתחם בדיקות בירושלים
    A drive-thru coronavirus testing center in Jerusalem
    (Photo: EPA )
    Since the start of October, 135 Israelis have succumbed to the pathogen.
    Thus far, over 6 million Israelis received the first dose of the COVID vaccine, over 5.6 received the second jab, and over 3.7 million received the booster.
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