The Health Ministry on Monday said that 522 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Sunday out of 22,027 tests conducted showing a positivity rate of 2.4%.
Of the 549 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, 322 are in serious condition with 138 on ventilators.
Since the start of the pandemic, 2,674 people have succumbed to the virus.
Jerusalem still leads the country in the number of new daily cases with 481 detected in the past seven days while Tel Aviv had only 159 new cases.
On Sunday health officials raised the alarm that the government was moving too quickly out of the recent lockdown in violation of its own exit strategy that called for a two-week period between re-opening steps in order to monitor the rise in morbidity.
High street shops reopen on Sunday after the government voted to further ease the coronavirus lockdown during a cabinet meeting last week. The shops are supposed to operate in accordance with strict health restrictions, which includes letting in up to four customers in one store.
Health Ministry's Head of Public Health Services Sharon Alroy-Preis said the reopening of street shops falls on the period when the infection is on rise and will only see the full effect of the move in weeks' time adding that since the easing of the lockdown restrictions two weeks ago, the infection rate has increased with its coefficient now standing at 1.
"To get to the next step of reopening, we need to get the number of verified daily infections to below 500. Right now, in order to be careful, we need to stop [further easing of restrictions]."
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Head of Public Health Services in the Health Ministry, Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis
(Photo: GPO)
Minister of Regional Cooperation, Ofir Akunis on Monday said he was confirmed with the virus. the minister said he feels well and will continue his ministerial work from home.
First published: 09:14, 11.09.20