As Tel Aviv emerges as coronavirus hotspot, new data has revealed that most of the new cases appear to be concentrated in Jaffa and among foreign workers in southern part of the city.
Tel Aviv over the past few days has overtaken Jerusalem, which still boasts the highest overall number of COVID-19 infections, when it comes to the rate of the pathogen's spread.
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School in Jaffa closed after 22 students and staff tested positive for coronavirus
(Photo: Dana Kopel)
According to a report published by the Education Ministry on Thursday, the majority of the infected schoolchildren in the city are kids of migrant workers and asylum seekers from south Tel Aviv as well as children in Jaffa from predominantly-Arab schools.
In addition, according to a survey conducted by Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality, out of 2,000 children infected with COVID-19 in the city, all but one were part of the two groups mentioned.
On Wednesday alone, 51 schoolchildren and 12 staff members tested positive for coronavirus in the city.
"Because these are very specific groups, I suppose there is a connection to the way they live, their community and their social habits," said Shirley Rimon Bracha, director of the education administration in Tel Aviv.
"There was no recorded infection outside of these two demographics. It should be emphasized that most of the infections had been contracted at major events.”