Israel: Number of Covid-19 Infected Persons Soars to 304

The number of Israelis infected by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, rose Tuesday morning by six people to 304, according to the Health Ministry.

Among the infected are three people who work in the Central Laboratory for Detecting Coronavirus of the Ministry of Health at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.

On Monday, the lab was shut down because its deputy director-general became infected. The new diagnoses include two additional staff members, Kan news reported.

There are four patients in critical condition, 11 in moderate and 284 that have mild cases of the virus, according to the ministry report. So far, five Israelis have become infected with but recovered from COVID-19.

Some 223 people are hospitalized, 15 are in the check-in process and will be hospitalized by the end of the day, and 46 patients are being treated in home-isolation.

On Sunday night, a senior doctor at Ichilov Hospital was reported by Ynet to have contracted the virus. All of the patients in her unit – many of them senior citizens – had to be tested and transferred to another unit, and her staff was sent home to self-isolate. The next morning, an intern in the hospital’s urology department also tested positive for coronavirus.

In addition, the IDF confirmed that patient No. 273 is a 19-year-old soldier from the north of the country. She is in mild condition. The IDF Medical Corps. and the Ministry of Health are together conducting a comprehensive epidemiological investigation and will share that information soon.

MK Tzachi Hanegbi refrained from attending the Knesset swearing in ceremony on Monday because he feared he had been in contact with someone who might have coronavirus. Hanegbi is waiting for the individual’s test results. In the interim, he is self-isolating.

Further more, a report disseminated by Hadassh Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem shared that the condition of an 89-year-old woman who was infected with coronavirus deteriorated overnight and she is considered critical condition.
So far, Israel has not had any person die from the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to roll out new restrictions on the public to help stop the spread of the virus across the country. Most of the new instructions presented Monday night will impact the public and private business sectors.