The city with the most coronavirus patients is Bnei Brak at 34% of those tested, according to data shared by the Ministry of Health to the Hebrew website Ynet. Some 10% of Jerusalemites and 6% of Tel Avivians who were screened for the novel virus tested positive.
The data shows the severity of the outbreak among the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population, many pockets that have refrained from following the Health Ministry’s guidelines. Already on Tuesday morning, Police were forced to break up a minyan of 10 people in the haredi neighborhood of Mea Shearim – the morning after the government approved measures that require people to pray on their own.
According to the data, 505 of the city’s residents were infected with the virus, compared to 568 in Jerusalem, where the population is almost five times as high. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Tal Brosh, head of the infectious disease at Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital explained that the country’s total number of cases is “going up in a steady way and that is not so good but that is also because the number of tests being done is increasing.” However, Brosh said that “my concern now is the haredim,” who are not practicing social distancing, which could lead to a spike in cases “very quickly. If Bnei Brak residents do not stop gathering at weddings, prayers, mikvaot … we could see a surge within a few weeks.”
The data comes on the backdrop of what is considered only moderate growth in the number of infected people. On Tuesday morning, the Health Ministry reported 4,831 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 – 83 in serious condition and 69 of them on respirators.
In addition, Tuesday morning, the country’s youngest patient to die from the virus was announced: a 49-year-old mother of twins from Lod.
The total number of deaths in Israel stands at 17.
Ynet shared statistics about other cities as well: Ashkelon 108 out of 998 tests, Rishon Lezion 95 out of 1,866; Petah Tikva 91 out of 1,479; Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut 79 out of 1,154; Ramat Gan 76 infected out of 1,352, among others.
The settlement Efrat was also found to have a high number of diagnoses: 49 out of 411.
On Tuesday morning, Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman said that the health funds will open four testing branches in the city. Anyone with a fever over 38 degrees Celsius or who is coughing or having difficulty breathing will be able to make an appointment to be tested.
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