The Ministry of Health released data on a number of national CV-19 hotspots more than a week and a half after the country saw a sharp hike in the local infection rate.
Jerusalem has witnessed the brunt of infections, with 176 confirmed coronavirus cases in the past week alone, and 511 active patients at the moment. The doubling ratio in the capital over this period of time has been 1.44
An even greater virus explosion per capita has been recorded in the southern Bedouin city of Rahat, where 33 new CV-19 cases were recorded last week and the doubling ratio in the city is now 6.5. In Tel Aviv, 79 new cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the week.
Other cities hard hit by the pandemic have been: Bnei Brak – 33 new cases, Sderot – 16, the Arab Israeli town of Ar'ara – 21; and Hadera with 9 confirmed coronavirus cases over the past week.
27 COVID-19 patients are listed in critical condition, 36 are in moderate, with the remaining patients in light condition. So far, 295 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in the country, with 15,061 patients making full recoveries. The average daily rate of additional infections since the beginning of the outbreak is currently 8%.
Minister of Defense, Benny Gantz reacted to the developing state of emergency, saying: "The State of Israel is battling a deadly virus. We are preparing for a second wave, and are entering a 'coronavirus routine."
Following a complex international procurement operation over the last months, the Ministry of Defense noted a significant milestone in the transition to local production of medical equipment. Deputy Director General and Head of the DOPP in the Ministry of Defense, Avi Dadon, recently inaugurated the establishment of a production line for N95 masks at the highest level of bacterial screening. This is the first production line of its kind in Israel, and one of a few such projects worldwide.