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Israel’s COVID infection rate is on the rise again, health ministry data showed on Sunday, two weeks after the school year opened and as the country marks high holy days.
The infection rate known as the R-number – the average number of people infected with each carrier of coronavirus – currently stands at 0.96. When the number R is less than one, the pandemic contracts; when it rises above one, it expands.
The number, which is calculated using data from the previous 10 days, shows that at the end of August, before the start of the school year and when the third COVID booster became available to the general population, it is fell to a low of 0.81 in three months. By September 1, the first day of the school year, the number had risen to 0.96.
Israel has also seen a drop in new coronavirus deaths. Last Tuesday, 35 people died from the virus, while only seven deaths were recorded on Saturday. Severe cases remain stable.
As of Saturday, 10,084 people tested positive for COVID in Israel, according to figures from the Ministry of Health. That day, 155,871 tests were performed, of which 6.6% came back positive. There are currently 1,168 coronavirus patients in Israeli hospitals, of which 697 are in serious condition. There are 219 critically ill patients and 154 on ventilators.
Over the weekend, 1,713 returning travelers tested positive for COVID. Forty-seven came from Moldova, 23 from Austria and 18 from the United States. The vast majority – 1,439 – had returned from the Ukraine. Thousands of Israelis flew to the Ukrainian city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah to make the annual pilgrimage to the tomb of Rabbi Nachman.
Police said on Friday that more than 200 Israelis who returned from the pilgrimage to Ukraine had used fake coronavirus tests, although at least some of them tested positive for the virus. According to the Israel Population and Immigration Authority, the passengers in question tested positive before boarding the flight to Israel.
Arrivals suspected of using false tests are suspected of fraud, forgery and spreading an infectious disease, which is considered a criminal offense in Israel under certain circumstances.
There are currently 5,574 school children and 279 teachers who have COVID. More than 90,000 of those diagnosed on Saturday were students or school staff, and 6.9% of tests in this group came back positive.
About 154,000 children are out of school because of the virus: 42,809 are active patients and 111,201 are in quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person. About 25.5% of students are vaccinated.
COVID-19 testing centers in Israel will operate until noon Wednesday, the eve of Yom Kippur, and will then be closed until Friday. Brig. General Reli Margalit of the IDF’s Home Front Command told the Knesset’s Committee on Constitution, Law and Justice on Sunday that the centers were closing early to allow tests to be sent to laboratories before the start of the fast. Yom Kippur.
Israeli COVID Czar Salman Zarka told the hearing that the rapid tests, which are used to acquire Green Pass privileges, will remain valid throughout Yom Kippur until the end of the fast, instead. to expire after 24 hours, as is usually the case. This will allow people to participate in Yom Kippur services after the tests.
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