Israel on Monday reported its highest infection since the start of the fourth coronavirus wave in the country nearly two months ago.
The Health Ministry said 6,469 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, which is lower than the daily average reported in the past week, but the infection rate has climbed to 6.3% - the highest the figure has been in months.
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COVID ward at Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem
(Photo: Hadassah Ein Kerem
)
The ministry said they had conducted over 102,000 coronavirus tests on Sunday, somewhat lower than the daily average of 130,000 tests reported over the past week.
At least 670 patients are in severe condition, of whom 108 are ventilated. The official death toll now stands at 6,830 after 16 patients succumbed to the disease on Sunday.
Early Monday, the coronavirus cabinet after hours-long meeting voted to reopen schools on September 1 as planned, in communities that are not defined as "red," indicating high infection rate.
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Children go back to school in Tel Aviv after third lockdown was lifted
(Photo: Motti Kimchi )
Ministers also voted to implement the Green Pass policy for all school faculty and staff, requiring them to either present proof of vaccination or recovery, or to provide a recent negative COVID test before entering educational facilities.
During the meeting, a heated debate apparently broke out between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton.
Before the outline was put to vote, Shasha-Biton claimed it was "impossible" to prepare the ground for implementation of the Green Pass mandate for staff before September 1. Bennett replied, saying, "It will be on September 1, but we reserve the right to change the decision based on infection spread."