Yuli Edelstein
Yuli EdelsteinFlash90

Israel's Health Ministry has discovered that during July and August, 53 elderly patients died of coronavirus, but their deaths were not recorded as coronavirus-related.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud), instructed that a thorough investigation be conducted, and that recommendations be brought to him within the week, including personal recommendations if need be.

At the same time, Health Ministry Director-General Professor Hezy Levy ordered that the reports for coronavirus deaths, including those which occurred in geriatric institutions, be submitted to a single address, from which they will be added regularly to the Health Ministry's computerized database.

Until now, geriatric institutions, including private institutions, reported separately to a coronavirus hotline, and from there the information was sent to the computerized database.

The Health Ministry is investigating whether there were additional coronavirus deaths which were not added to the registry.