For the first time in weeks, the infection rate in the State of Israel has surpassed four percent, the Health Ministry reported after Sunday’s meeting of the Coronavirus Cabinet.
There were 870 new cases of the virus diagnosed since midnight, out of 21,388 tests carried out during the day on Sunday, meaning a total of 4.1 percent of the tests came back positive.
On Sunday there were 554 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 nationwide, including 239 patients listed in serious condition and 85 patients on life support, dependent upon ventilators to be able to breathe.
During the cabinet meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed deep concern about the geometric growth in the spread of the virus but called an end to the meeting after three hours of deliberations with no decisions.
“We opened the economy and there was a wild increase in morbidity,” Netanyahu observed during the meeting. “The geometric growth does not give us a chance to wait.”
Nevertheless, the prime minister said, “Let’s wait 24 hours to make a decision about what measures will curb the rise in infection. We will continue the discussion tomorrow at 7 pm.”
Coronavirus Commissioner Nachman Ash has recommended regarding Hanukkah and Christmas that Israelis need to “increase communication, refrain from holding large meetings, hold events modestly and not meet outside of our immediate capsules” or nuclear families.