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Israel is nearing 12,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 11,868 Israelis positive for the virus as of Tuesday morning. Since the virus arrived in Israel, 118 patients have died of it, while another 181 patients are listed in serious condition. Of the serious cases, 136 are on ventilators.
Another 168 coronavirus patients were listed in serious condition as of Tuesday morning, with the vast majority of cases – 9,402 – defined as light or minor. A total of 1,214 coronavirus carriers were being treated in hotels, with 7,145 at home. Since the epidemic hit Israel, 2,000 patients have recovered from the virus, making the recovery-to-death ratio nearly 20:1, twice as high as it was on April 6, when 10 coronavirus patients in Israel were recovering for every one patient who died.
The Administration for Strategic and Economic Planning in the Health Ministry published on Tuesday a breakdown of the numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases by community. As of Tuesday morning, Jerusalem, Israel’s largest city, had the highest number of cases, 2,258, followed by Bnei Brak, with 2,053, and Tel Aviv-Jaffa with 468.
Both Jerusalem and Bnei Brak boast large ultra-Orthodox populations, as does Modi’in Illit, which had 239 confirmed cases as of Tuesday; and Petah Tikva, with 229 cases.
Rishon Lezion – Israel’s fourth-largest municipality – had 209 cases on Tuesday; Ashdod had 195; and Haifa had 139. Rehovot, a city of 110,000, had 104 cases. Lod and Ramle, home to mixed Jewish and Arab populations, reported 69 and 58 cases, respectively.
Data is also now available for Israeli Arab communities: Jisr a-Zarka had 35 confirmed cases on Tuesday, and Umm al-Fahm had 48. The full report in Hebrew can be viewed here.
As part of the government’s continued efforts to check the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that another nationwide curfew on Jewish communities would be imposed from 5 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Thursday.
The decision will curb the traditional Mimouna celebrations that mark the end of Passover in some communities and the rush on bakeries, which generally open as soon as the holiday ends.
Meanwhile, GOC Home Front Command said Monday that the nation needed to be prepared for the coronavirus “event” to last a year, but that steps must be taken to restore the economy, and discuss “coping strategies” rather than an “exit strategy.”
Speaking to military correspondents, Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai said he believed that “we must return to normal, gradually, especially to work.”
Yadai warned that social and economic problems were developing along with the corona health crisis. Yadai also said that the Home Front Command was handling the issue of Israelis returning from abroad, who needed to be quarantined.
“Four to six new hotels will be opened to accommodate everyone. There are 2,000-2,500 people who will need to spend time [in quarantine] in a hotel,” he said.
Addressing the matter of the Haredi sector, where the coronavirus infection rate is high, Yadai told reporters that the accommodations set up for Haredim supply the sector with everything that they need, including the most stringent kashruth supervision.
(Maytal Yasur Beit-Or and Hanan Greenwood/Israel Hayom)
