As Israel gradually moves out of its second coronavirus lockdown, the Health Ministry reported Monday an increase in positive coronavirus tests, with infection rate now reaching 3.1%.
In real terms, out of the 21,115 tests conducted since Sunday, there were 676 new cases confirmed.
Israel began exiting a month-long lockdown in mid-October, in a gradual lifting of restrictions that began with return of preschools and kindergartens.
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A coronavirus testing site in Tel Aviv set up to test teachers returning to school after lockdown restrictions eased on Sunday
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
On Sunday, schools opened for grades one to four and some businesses were also allowed to reopen though high street shops remain shuttered.
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Social distancing and mask wearing in an elementary school classroom in Kiryat Gat
(Photo: Roee Idan)
There are currently 372 seriously ill patients in serious condition being treated for COVID-19 in hospital, 170 of them on ventilators.
Since the start of the pandemic, 2,554 people have succumbed to the virus.
The cabinet was due to meet Monday afternoon to discuss further steps to ease the lockdown.
The Finance Ministry was calling for high street stores to be reopened as soon as this week, while Health Minister Yuli Edelstein was adamant on maintaining the scheduled lockdown exit timetable.
The previously agreed upon schedule calls for staggered easing of closures across the economy, with various sectors reopening at two week intervals. This is an effort to avoid the sharp resurgence in morbidity that occurred after the first lockdown ended in May, when Israel reopened its economy at a rapid rate.