The Health Ministry said Sunday that 602 people have succumbed to COVID-19 since the beginning of January, with 27 people dying of the disease on Saturday alone.
Saturday also saw 5,000 new confirmed cases of the virus, with 69,500 tests yielding a positivity rate of 7.2%.
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Medical staff caring for a patient in the coronavirus ward at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera
(Photo: Getty Images)
There are currently 1,115 people hospitalized in serious condition, with 246 of them on ventilators.
The government was to be asked to decide on an extension to the current coronavirus lockdown later in the week, as the infection rate in ultra-Orthodox communities continues to soar.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting that a decision will be made on Tuesday or Wednesday.
"I hope there will be at least 200,000 vaccines administered this week."
More than 2 million Israelis have already received the first dose of the vaccine and over 100,000 have been given two doses. Israel will begin vaccinating people over the age of 45 from Sunday.
As COVID-19 infections spread rapidly among Haredi and Arab communities, some members of the coalition were demanding to know how mitigation orders were being enforced.
"We must see an effective plan to fight the spread of coronavirus," Defense Minister Benny Gantz said over the weekend.
"We must insist on seeing real enforcement of mitigation regulations before we can discuss extending the lockdown," Gantz said.
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Ultra-Orthodox residents of Jerusalem clash with police over enforcement of coronavirus restriction on Friday
(Photo: Pluralist)
The average positivity rate in the ultra-Orthodox sector is 19%, in the Arab sector it stands at 15% while in the non-religious Jewish sector only 5.5% of all tests for coronavirus returned a positive result.
The ultra-Orthodox West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit showed a 29% positivity rate of all tests last week, up from 28% the previous week with 1,274 new COVID-19 cases identified.
Elad, a Haredi city in the center of Israel, showed a rise of positive tests to 23%, up from 18% the previous week with 1,007 new cases confirmed.
Israel's largest Haredi city Bnei Brak has also seen an increase in positive results of coronavirus testing, with a 19% positivity rate - up from 15% the previous week and with 3,202 new virus patients identified.
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A religious institution of learning operating in violation of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in Ashdod last week
(Photo: Avi Rokah)
The Health Ministry, which is advocating for an extension to the lockdown, said the R factor should be the determinant, claiming that the extensive vaccination drive that began last month is expected to soon begin to have an impact on community spread.
Ministers will also be called to vote on an exit strategy from the third lockdown that was tightened last Thursday and is due to expire by the end of this week.
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A police roadblock in Tel Aviv to enforce coronavirus lockdown restrictions on Friday
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
According to the announced plan, the lockdown restrictions will be eased through a three-phase plan.
In the first phase, school children ages 0 to 10 will be allowed to return to in-school learning, commerce will resume, and overseas travel return.
The second phase will see all schools opened for all ages. Israelis who will have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine will have a "green passport" allowing them to attend cultural and sporting events under certain restrictions.
The third phase will see all hotels, sporting clubs, gyms, pools and wedding halls allowed to re-open.
First published: 11:19, 01.17.21