The Ministry of Health updated on Wednesday evening that since midnight, 1,003 new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Israel. The number of active cases is 25,614, of which 369 are in serious condition and 110 on respirators.
13 patients have died from the virus since midnight and the total number of deaths has risen to 639.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health announced that the duration of isolation for patients with and without symptoms will be shortened from now on, so that the days of isolation will be counted from the day the sample was taken and not from the date of receiving a positive result.
A memo published by the head of the public health services, Dr. Sharon Alrei, stated that the decision is expected to shorten the duration of the isolation by one day to three days.
The document further stated that in cases where it is unknown when the coronavirus test was administered, the length of the period of isolation will be shortened by one day.
In cases of patients who have symptoms, it is not possible to determine with certainty the date of onset of the disease, and recovery will be defined as ten days from the date of taking the positive sample, provided that at least three days have elapsed since the end of symptoms.
Asymptomatic patients can also have a qualified nurse give them a recovery certificate, provided she has checked the patient's computerized medical record and questioned the patient.
Patients who have experienced symptoms can receive confirmation that they have recovered only from a doctor.