Professor Ran Balicer, head of the Ministry of Health's cabinet of experts, announced on Twitter on Saturday night that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

"[I tested positive] Like many other good people," Balicer wrote, adding that he does not “recognize any verified cases among this week’s contacts, but the working assumption these days that everyone around us is contagious."

"I am at low risk and vaccinated for the third time so the infection will probably go away without complications but for adults and chronic patients - just avoid encounters in closed areas this week. Less risk than Delta and still dangerous," he added.

Balicer’s announcement came hours after Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, MK Alex Kushnir (Yisrael Beytenu), MK Moshe Tur-Paz (Yesh Atid) and MK David Amsalem (Likud) became the latest Israeli lawmakers to test positive for COVID-19.

A number of Knesset members have tested positive for the virus in recent days. MK Emilie Moatti (Labor) tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

“Friends, I just informed the faction that I, like many of us, am positive for COVID. I feel okay, I had a bit of a fever. I think it's going to be okay, a hug to you all and go get vaccinated,” she tweeted.

MK Yomtob Kalfon (Yamina) also tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tested positive for the coronavirus. His office said that "Minister Lapid is staying in his home in isolation and feeling well."

Lapid is the second minister to be infected with the virus in the current wave. He was preceded by Public Security Minister Omer Barlev, who tested positive for the virus on Sunday.

Last weekend, MKs Etty Atia (Likud), Haim Katz (Likud) and Yoav Ben Tzur (Shas) tested positive for COVID-19.