The Health Ministry reported Israel’s first death from coronavirus Friday night. The victim, an 88-year-old man, was hospitalized and placed in the quarantine unit for the coronavirus patients at Shaare Tzedek Medical Center in Jerusalem about a week ago. He arrived in severe condition, and was reported to have had been suffering from a number of underlying conditions. At the hospital, the patient received several treatments from medical staff in an attempt to combat his symptoms. However, during the week, the elderly patient suffered from cardiac arrest. He was later resuscitated but his condition stayed stagnant. The patient’s condition worsened in the hours leading up to death, eventually passing away at around 9 pm Israel time. According to his grandson, Maor, the man was a Holocaust survivor from Hungary who was able to rebuild his life in Israel. He is survived by four children, 18 grandchildren and one great-grandson. The Health Ministry has reported 705 cases of coronavirus in Israel, with 10 in critical condition, 18 in moderate condition and 662 reportedly with mild symptoms.
Israel was one of the first countries to enact strict travel restrictions and on Thursday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tightened a national stay-at-home policy, saying police would enforce restrictions. Celia Jean, Zachary Keyser and Hagay Hacohen contributed to this report.
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