Israel on Thursday reported more than 2,000 new daily COVID cases the day before, with number of severely ill patients also increasing.
The Health Ministry said 2,165 people tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, and after 92,710 tests had been conducted, the infection rate now stands at 2.35%.
2 View gallery
An elderly woman receives a booster shot of her vaccination at an assisted living facility, in Netanya, Israel January 19, 2021
(Photo: Reuters )
The ministry said at least 159 patients are in serious condition, of whom 26 are ventilated. The official death toll has gone up to 6,463 after three patients passed away on Wednesday.
In the wake of the continued surge in new cases, the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center - IDF unit tasked with dealing with the pandemic - warned if no drastic measures are taken soon, the number of severe cases will "skyrocket".
"The number of patients in critical condition clearly and objectively describes the spread of the pandemic in the country, regardless of the scope of testing. The infection rate is still high and reflects a doubling of the number of patients approximately every 7-10 days," said the center in a statement.
"Without further action and [continued] widespread vaccination of the public, the number of verified cases and the number of patients in severe condition is expected to skyrocket, in a way that could lead to overload within weeks - both in health funds and in hospitals."
In the meantime, the ministry reported Wednesday a decrease in the number of people who received their first vaccine shot after several days of gradual increase. On Wednesday 3,491 Israelis received their first jab, compared to 4,342 on Sunday, 5,030 on Monday and 5,318 on Tuesday.