Israel on Thursday reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row as the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly across the country.
The Health Ministry said 16,115 people tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and since midnight 3,701 were found to be ill.
After 206,000 tests h conducted, the positivity rate was found to be 1.99%, indicating a rapid spread of contagion.
There are currently 307 people receiving treatment in hospitals, after dozens were admitted on Wednesday. Some 134 are in serious condition, an increase of 15 since midnight and up from 91 last week, representing a 47% increase. Some 41 patients are connected to ventilators.
Since the beginning of the month, 100 people suffered from serious complications of COVID-19, compared to 161 during the entire month of December.
While health officials argue over rapid testing in schools, more than 5,900 students were among the newly confirmed cases, after 25,638 were reported as actively ill, up from 10,050 one week ago. This is a 155% rise in student morbidity.
There are 84,431 students in quarantine as of Thursday, while 132,000 people have already received their fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine, said the ministry.
Since the start of the pandemic, 8,253 people succumbed to the virus-related complications, two of them on Wednesday.
The tally of active patients nationwide currently stands at over 72,000, some 10,051 of whom live in Jerusalem.
Some 5,800 live in Tel Aviv, 3,023 in Rishon Lezion, 2,497 in Petah Tikva, 1,922 in Holon, 1,690 in Haifa, 1,634 in Netanya, 1,587 in Ramat Gan, 1,330 in Beit Shemesh, 1,091 in Ma'ale Adumim, 1,063 in Modi'in Maccabim Reut, 998 in Rehovot, 995 in Be'er Sheva, 970 in Herzliya, 888 In Bat Yam, 885 in Kfar Saba, 856 in Ashdod, 830 in Bnei Brak, 806 in Raanana, 676 in Ramat Hasharon, 657 in Ness Ziona, 616 in Givatayim, 590 in Hod Hasharon, 588 in Rosh HaAyin, 546 in Or Yehuda, 515 in Hadera and 506 in Yavne.