Israel confirmed Tuesday that 4,973 people tested positive for coronavirus in the country in just one day, breaking the record for new daily cases.
The Health Ministry said that on Monday nearly 5,000 people tested positive for COVID-19, with the number of active patients currently standing at 40,689. With 47,509 tests conducted, the contagion rate now stands at an alarming 10%.
The country also saw the record for hospitalized COVID-19 patients broken as well, with 1,145 coronavirus carriers currently being treated in hospitals.
The ministry said 533 patients are in a serious condition, with 140 requiring ventilator support.
The death toll from coronavirus-related complications has reached 1,141.
Coronavirus czar, Prof. Ronni Gamzu, said on Tuesday morning the actual number of coronavirus carriers in Israel appears to be much higher than official figures, but it cannot be confirmed as long as the number of daily tests doesn't increase.
"If we could do more tests, we would find at least another 20,000 more patients today," Gamzu said during a daily press briefing.
Israel is set to enter a three-week long nationwide lockdown Friday in an attempt to curb the infection rate.