A report of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate published on Monday morning once again warns that over the last week there has been a stabilization in the rate of positive tests and the number of verified coronavirus patients, and that the steep decline in the data has stopped.
According to the report, this may indicate a halt in the decline of morbidity. However, the report notes that the number of new patients who are hospitalized in critical condition and the number of daily deaths continue to decline.
The Israeli Health Ministry reported on Monday morning that 649 new patients had been diagnosed, and 21,894 test results had been received. There are currently 372 critical patients in Israel, of whom 170 are on respirators. To date, 2,554 have died since the outbreak of the pandemic.
The Military Intelligence report also warns that the risk of contracting the virus may increase in the coming days due to the expected cooling of the weather, because of people’s tendency to crowd into enclosed spaces during this season.
“It is recommended to ventilate well the enclosed spaces, wear masks while staying in them at all times, and reduce the length of stay as well as the number of stays, and to prefer to hold activities and meetings as much as possible in the open air, especially in the winter.”
On Sunday, the Health Ministry warned of an upward trend in the rate of coronavirus infections – which could reverse the plan to open up the economy. After reaching a low rate of 0.6 two weeks ago, the coefficient of infection rose last week to 0.75. The Health Ministry’s working assumption is that as soon as the coefficient rises above 0.8, the opening of the economy will slow down and Israel would return to a lockdown.
Meanwhile, following numerous complaints from parents and teachers, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and Education Minister Yoav Galant will re-examine the instruction for first and second graders to wear a facemask throughout the school day, both in class and during breaks. The two ministers agreed on establishing a joint team to examine the matter.
On Sunday, the Health Ministry of Health announced that it had decided to hold a pilot to examine cutting down the isolation period from 14 to 12 days. According to the ministry’s announcement, “the professionals will formulate the exact outline in the coming days.”
Corona Czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu about two weeks ago told the Knesset Health Committee that the isolation would be shortened to 12 days by testing for the virus after the tenth day of isolation. This has not yet been implemented because there weren’t enough tests to spare for the pilot. However, with the decline in morbidity in recent days, some of the test kits can be allocated.
On the other hand, following AMN’s new report, that plan may be put back in the drawer.