Israel sees increase in hospitalizations, COVID cases continue to rise

Health Ministry says there is a 45% increase in seriously ill patients over the past week and as of 5 pm over 8,000 new COVID cases were confirmed with positivity rate as high as 7.8%

Iris Lifshitz Klieger, Adir Yanko, Yaron Druckman|Updated:

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The Health Ministry said on Wednesday afternoon that the number of hospitalizations for COVID rose to 290, although the number of seriously ill patients did not rise as rapidly and stands on 129 up from 89 last week.
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Still, this is an increase of 45% in serious cases and today alone, 32 people were added to that list.
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The coronavirus ward at the Sheba Medical Center last month 
(Photo: Reuters)
A health expert warned on Wednesday that if daily infections reach 20,000, there could be between 500 and 800 new serious cases added to hospitals every day.
By 5 pm on Wednesday, Israel logged more than 8,000 new COVID cases, and after more than 100,000 tests, found the positivity rate to be 7.8%. At that rate the record of 12,554 cases on Tuesday will likely be broken.
Since the start of the pandemic, 8,253 people died from COVID complications, two of them on Wednesday. Most of those who died in the past week, were unvaccinated.
According to the ministry, more than 120,000 are quarantined, either because of infection or because they had had contact with a COVID patient.
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People line up to receive COVID tests in Tel Aviv on Tuesday 
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
On Friday, the new testing policy will come into effect and most Israelis under the age of 60 will no longer be given PCR tests and will have to rely on the less accurate rapid tests at home or in testing sites.
A negative result will excuse from quarantine and a positive result will require further testing and at least 10 days of isolation
Pharmacies have reported a shortage of the rapid tests and many say they were already sold out.
After criticism from health experts the ministry on Wednesday said the new testing regulations were unavoidable in light of the dramatic surge in COVID cases and the need to provide PCR tests to the population most at risk.
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Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz in a press briefing in Tel Aviv on Wednesday 
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
"That way we will be able to offer the COVID medication to those who need it," officials said.
Israel purchased the new Pfizer COVID drug that must be administered no more than five days after infection. 
"The ministry will update its policy as needed based on changing data, to ensure public health."

First published: 20:58, 01.05.22