The condition of an 89-year-old woman who was diagnosed with coronavirus and who is hospitalized at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem deteriorated on Thursday evening.
She is now listed in critical condition, and the hospital said she is suffering from rapid respiratory deterioration.
The Health Ministry announced Thursday night that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Israel had jumped to 677.
This is an increase of over 100 over the previous number of 573 which had been reported just a few hours earlier.
So far, 14 patients have recovered and been released from the hospital.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday night that in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the Health Ministry guidelines restricting people from leaving their homes would become compulsory orders.
“The government will approve tonight emergency regulations to limit movement. You are ordered to stay at home… This isn’t a request, this isn’t a recommendation, but a binding requirement that will be enforced. The purpose of these instructions is to ensure as few people will be infected and will infect [others]," he said.
"The regulations will be in force for seven days, movement restrictions will be dramatically enforced," the Prime Minister emphasized.