Two more Israelis died on Friday from coronavirus-related complications, bringing the number of fatalities in the country to 12.
The two fatalities were an 80-year-old patient with underlying conditions who passed away at Wolfson Hospital in Holon and a 73-year-old man who passed away earlier at Rambam Hospital in Haifa who also had underlying health conditions.
The latter's 71-year-old wife is also hospitalized and is said to be in moderate condition. The couple had recently returned from a vacation in Tenerife.
The Health Ministry said that as of Friday, 3,035 people had been confirmed to have the virus in Israel.
There were approximately 462 people in hospital in Israel, 1,509 people being treated at home, 410 in a specially designated hotel and the rest awaiting a decision on how they will be treated.
Israelis were instructed Thursday to remain at home with emergency measures in place for a period of seven days.
Officials warn that a complete lock-down will be imposed if there is no indication of a decline in the number of new cases reported.
Health Ministry No. 2 Prof. Itamar Grotto told Ynet on Friday that the numbers of fatalities and of seriously ill patients were "not as bad as we feared."
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A woman has her temperature checked at the entrance to a supermarket in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
Grotto, who has been advocating for a complete lockdown on the population, said that the more measures imposed by the government are observed the better of Israel will be.
Meanwhile, a newly appointed Knesset oversight committee has reported a concerning shortage in ventilators.
The death toll from the virus continues to rise around the globe. In Italy, some 8,200 have died; 4,100 have succumbed to the virus in Spain and 1,700 in France, including a 16-year-old; the U.S. had about 1,200 deaths, including about 400 in New York State.