More than 2,800 coronavirus cases again, no new restrictions in place

The vaccines are already arriving in Israel by the hundreds of thousands, but the country faces what could be a difficult period of tightened restrictions as coronavirus cases surge.

On Thursday morning, the Health Ministry reported that some 2,802 people were infected with the virus the day before. This number surpasses the daily new cases count that will put Israel into a period of restraint.

During such a period, shops, malls and marketplaces would be closed. Gatherings would be limited to 10 people in closed spaces and 20 in open spaces. The education system would stay open in green and yellow cities, but would close in orange and red ones.

Since yesterday, several more Jerusalem neighborhoods went from orange to red. At the same time, five more cities across the country became orange.

The number of people in serious condition is rising with the numbers: 400 patients are in serious condition, including 150 who are intubated. Some 3.4% of the more than 80,000 people screened for the virus tested positive.

The death toll hit 3,033.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein explained at the Knesset and in interviews that the number of cases had to average out to more than 2,500 per day, which is why the new restrictions had not yet been put in place. By most estimates, this means that tightened restrictions would be rolled out in about four days.

“The daily number of diagnoses is high,” said Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch in an interview with Army Radio on Wednesday. But, like Edelstein, he said that no changes would be made until the weekly trend was evaluated.

Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz raised a red flag on Wednesday, calling on the coronavirus cabinet to convene, but no meeting was set.

Health Ministry deputy director-general Chezy Levy and Head of Public Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis entered quarantine after a member of their office tested positive. 

Levy was already screened for the virus and had a negative result. He does not have any symptoms and will continue to operate as usual from his home.