Israel's second coronavirus-related fatality was named Tuesday as Malka Keva, an elderly resident of central Israel.
The Health Ministry said the 67-year-old Bat Yam resident had a major underlyimg health condition. She passed away at Wolfson Hospital in Holon earlier in the day, where she had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit over the past few days.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family,” said the hospital in a statement. “They [the family] have been notified and our social workers team are in contact with them.”
"The medical fought for her life with great dedication, but her condition deteriorated and she died despite being in intensive care," the hospital added.
The woman’s husband and other members of her family have also contracted COVID-19 and are currently being treated at home in quarantine. She is survived by a husband, three children and seven grandchildren.
The fatality becomes Israel's second COVID-19 related death. Last week, an 88-year-old Aryeh Ibn, who also had a serious underlying health condition, passed away at Shaare Zedek Medical Center as a result of complications caused by the virus.
The Health Ministry confirmed earlier that the country now has 1,656 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, an additional 234 cases since Monday night.
Thirty-one confirmed patients are hospitalized in serious condition, 47 in moderate condition and 1,528 have light symptoms
Of that number, 652 patients displaying only light or no symptoms who are hospitalized at home and 161 more patients hospitalized in hotels requisitioned by the state to treat coronavirus patients.
Forty-nine people have completely recovered from the virus.
First published: 16:36, 03.24.20