The Health Ministry reported Monday evening that the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in serious condition dropped to 435 — the lowest such figure recorded since August 11.
According to ministry data, 76.5% of all severely ill patients were unvaccinated and 189 of them were connected to ventilators.
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The COVID ward at Sheba Medical Center, Israel's largest hospital
(Photo: Tal Shahar)
The ministry also reported that one of the patients hospitalized in serious condition is between the ages of 16 and 19 and is unvaccinated, 15 patients were aged 20–29 [12 are unvaccinated, 2 received two vaccine doses over six months ago, and one received two doses less than six months ago], 25 patients aged 30–39 [24 unvaccinated and one patient who completed the original two-dose regimen over six months ago].
Meanwhile, 1,224 Israelis have tested positive for coronavirus out of some 79,000 tests conducted the previous day, putting Israel's contagion rate at 2.2%, seeing a slight uptick compared to the last few days, but still significantly lower than figures seen at the end of September.
The majority of severely ill patients were aged 50–79. Data show that 190 of them were not vaccinated, 29 received both vaccine doses over six months ago, and 45 received both doses under six months ago — meaning that 72% of severely ill patients in this age group have not been vaccinated.
Israel’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 7,937 after two patients succumbed to complications of the disease on Sunday.
Earlier on Monday, Coronavirus czar Prof. Salman Zarka expressed cautious optimism Israel may soon be past its fourth wave of COVID-19 as infections continue tapering down nationwide.
"We are very optimistic about the decline we are seeing in the infection rate, in the number and percentage of new positive COVID cases, and in the number of severely ill and ventilated patients," Zarka told a press briefing.
"We assume that within two weeks, a little longer maybe, the number of seriously ill in hospitals will also go down."
"While we are optimistic that we are coming out of the fourth wave, it is important to note that we are not there yet. The risk still exists, the virus is still spreading among us."