coronavirus testing
coronavirus testingצילום: Yossi Aloni/Flash90

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein instructed senior officials in his ministry to work to abolish the requirement that all citizens returning from abroad be quarantined at coronavirus hotels.

"Every returnee from abroad who is allowed to enter the country should under an immediate examination and go out for home isolation for two weeks or ten days if he does another examination on the ninth day," Minister Edelstein said.

5,449 Israelis were diagnosed yesterday with the coronavirus, the highest number seen in Israel since October 5, when 5,721 infections were diagnosed, according to data from the Health Ministry.

The results of 98,000 tests were obtained yesterday and the rate of positive tests was 5.6%. This is the first time since October that the rate of positive tests has been higher than 5%.

1,025 coronavirus patients are currently hospitalized, 593 of whom are in serious condition. 146 patients are on ventilators. 3,256 Israelis have died from the coronavirus so far, 18 of whom died yesterday.