The Health Ministry said Tuesday 3,594 people tested positive for coronavirus a day earlier, the highest the figure has been in months.
The ministry said that on Monday 86,857 tests had been conducted, putting the contagion rate at 4.2%.
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A medic in the underground parking of Rambam Health Care Campus which was transformed into an intensive care facility
(Photo: AFP)
At least 472 patients are in serious condition, of whom 119 are ventilated. The official death toll now stands at 3,111.
Director-General of the Health Ministry Prof. Hezi Levi told Ynet the numbers indicate the country is "in the midst of an infection surge" that requires a swift response.
On Monday, the coronavirus cabinet, which leads the government's response to the pandemic, approved a series of new restrictions in an effort to battle the pandemic.
Among the measures approved by the government is mandatory isolation for Israelis arriving from abroad in state-run coronavirus hotels for 14 days, or 10 days if the returnee has undergone two negative coronavirus tests prior to entering the hotel.
The regulations will take effect Wednesday at 10 pm and stay in place for at least 10 days.
Travelers from countries that did not require mandatory isolation prior to the cabinet decision will be exempt from the rule as long as they land in Israel by December 26.