Israel on Monday reported a new record number of single-day COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant continues to surge across the country with massive force.
The Health Ministry said 21,501 tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday after 175,000 tests were conducted, the highest daily caseload recorded since the start of the, with the positivity rate standing at 12.31%.
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Israelis waiting in line to get tested for COVID, and a pharmacy sign that says there are no more COVID home tests
(Photo: Elad Gershgoren, Eitan Glickman, Sivan Hilaie)
Since midnight, 4,144 additional tests have returned positive and 35 patients were admitted in serious condition, putting the country's tally of severe cases at 222 - of whom 57 are on ventilators. January has so far seen 253 patients in serious condition, compared to 161 reported in December and 157 in November.
Most cities in Israel are now classified as "red", indicating a high morbidity rate, which house 79.3% of the Israeli population, while only 5.1% of the population live in communities classified as "green".
The ministry also said that on Sunday, 66,200 Israelis received their fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine, putting the total number of Israelis jabbed with the second booster at 320,000. Also on Sunday 11,700 Israelis got their third vaccine jab, and 9,300 were vaccinated for the first time.
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Israelis waiting in line to get tested for COVID in the city of Gedera
(Photo: Shaul Golan)
According to the Health Ministry, there are 42,595 active COVID patients, of whom 7,404 were diagnosed on Sunday.
There are also currently 84,700 schoolchildren in quarantine, and the data also showed that 2,654 medical personnel are in isolation, of whom 1,947 are confirmed to have been infected with COVID - at least 321 of them are doctors.
Since the onset of the pandemic, 8,269 Israelis succumbed to COVID-19, one of them on Sunday. Since the beginning of the month, 18 patients have passed away, compared to 49 in December.