For the first time since February, Israel records over 5,000 daily COVID-19 cases
Israel set another dubious record during its fourth wave of Coronavirus (COVID-19) when the number of new daily cases was recorded at 5,140, passing the 5,000 cases mark for the first time since the beginning of February.
Inside the Coronavirus Unit in Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem as the 4th COVID-19 wave driven by Delta variant is continuing to spread across Israel. Jerusalem, Aug 3, 2021. Photo by Shalev Shalom/TPS
The COVID-19 stats in Israel continued to worsen, as 4.9% of the 103,000 tests done Monday returned positive.
A climbing number of 394 patients are hospitalized in serious condition, of them 64 are on life support.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel, 6,559 Corona patients have died, over 80 of them since the beginning of August.
The government is in a race to vaccinate the population aged 60 and over with a third vaccine, a booster shot, amid concerns of waning immunity.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has stated that his goal is to inoculate some 1.5 million Israelis above the age of 60 as soon as possible.
Israel is the first country in the world to take this step to provide a COVID-19 booster shot, even before the FDA approved it. Israel hopes to curb the rise in infections, or at least the number of severe COVID-19 cases, with the third booster shot, and by urging those who have not been vaccinated at all to go and do so.
The Ministry of Health updated Monday that out of close to 600,000 Israelis vaccinated with a third dose, and so far, less than 50 people have reported side effects. Recipients complained of mild symptoms that passed quickly, such as pain at the injection area, fever and nausea.
Around one million Israelis have yet to receive even one vaccination, and this process has almost reached a stalemate.
Data from the Ministry of Health shows that among unvaccinated people aged 60 and over, the chance of developing a serious illness is several times higher, up to eight times, than in those who have been vaccinated with at least two doses.
The ministerial committee on fighting the Coronavirus decided earlier this week on a list of new restrictions, and more appear to be on the way, in an attempt to stem the skyrocketing new daily COVID-19 cases and in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a countrywide lockdown, Israel’s fourth.
