Israel's daily coronavirus tally reached nearly 1,000 new cases for the first time in months, health officials confirmed Thursday.
The Health Ministry said 966 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with the number of patients currently infected with the pathogen standing at 8,647.
Since midnight on Thursday, 94 people were confirmed to have contracted the disease.
Health officials said they've conducted 20,798 COVID-19 tests on Wednesday, placing the contagion rate at 4.78%.
The ministry said there are currently 24 patients in need of ventilator support, with the death toll from coronavirus-related complications rising to 324.
The latest COVID-19 fatality is a 60-year-old woman who died early Thursday at the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, the hospital confirmed. She suffered from underlying health conditions.
There are 270 patients being treated in hospitals, with the rest fighting the virus at home.
Meanwhile, the government-mandated closures imposed on three neighborhoods in the southern city of Ashdod and on three neighborhoods in the central city of Lod, officially went into effect in the morning hours.
The closures were to take place from 8am Thursday, July 2 until 8am Thursday, July 9. Movement in and out of these areas will be restricted and so will any business activity within the areas.