Director of Maccabi Health Services, Professor Ran Saar, reported today to the Knesset's Coronavirus Committee.
"Around half of Bnei Brak's residents belong to the Maccabi health fund," he said. "According to our data and estimates, around 38% of the city's residents are already infected with coronavirus, which translates to around 75,000 people.
"I hope the government will send a large police contingent to the city before Pesach in order to save the situation from deteriorating still further," he added. "There is a relatively large proportion of elderly in Bnei Brak who are especially vulnerable to coronavirus and we could find ourselves with a large number of dead if steps are not taken."
Around 200,000 people live in Bnei Brak which has a population density of around 73,000 people per square mile. By contrast, nearby Tel Aviv has a population density of just 20,000 people per square mile.