image Photo: Flash90

Coronavirus surge in Israel

Following two weeks of a seeming decline in the upward trend of newly confirmed coronavirus cases throughout the State of Israel, it now appears an exponential rise has once again taken hold.

Since a government decision to gradually restart the economy on Sunday, 19 April, there has been a daily 5.4% increase in diagnoses on average.

A 0.1% rise occurred on Monday from 4.4 to 4.5%, while there was a 0.7% leap to 5.2% of all newly-verified cases on Tuesday. The daily upward trend surged again today by 2.4% to a 7.6% total.

It is important to highlight that these figures are subject to the fluctuating number of daily tests administered by Israeli health authorities. A variance of 9,419 – 12,281 tests over the respective days presents increasingly challenges to forecast accurate trends.

Data published by the Ministry of Health reveals that an additional 1,051 Israelis have been diagnosed with the disease over the past 24 hours to a total of 14,326 recorded infections. 148 patients are in critical condition. 3 others died of coronavirus-related causes, raising Israel’s mortality rate to 187.

608 Israelis have reportedly recovered from COVID-19, reflecting a considerable 26.4% leap above the previous day. 4,961 people in Israel have now successfully overcome the illness.

Enforcement authorities have stepped up an awareness campaign reminding the public to maintain vigilance in observing limitations that remain in effect. While the majority of Israel’s population is reportedly complying with vital directives such as social distancing advisories and the wearing of protective gear while in public, thousands of police officers and IDF soldiers have been deployed throughout the country in a collective effort to ensure that individuals who have yet to come to terms with the ‘new restrictive reality’ do not endanger others.

Despite partial relaxation of some restrictive measures, this morning the cabinet approved a series of emergency ordinances to be enacted on upcoming calendar events.  A general nationwide lockdown similar to what took place on the recent observance of the Biblical Passover festival will be reinstated during commemoration of Memorial Day next Tuesday, 28 April; as well as celebration the following of Israeli Independence Day on 29 April.