The Health Ministry said on Saturday that four cases of the highly contagious strain of South African coronavirus were identified in Israel, the first time that the mutant variant was discovered in the country.
The ministry said four cases were found after an advanced testing program. They included a traveler who recently returned from South Africa and members of the family of another individual who had traveled there.
All travelers returning from the UK and South Africa, where new strains of the virus are spreading, must enter government-run hotels for the quarantine period and their test samples are sent for early verification.
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The Ministry of Health pointed out that although the variant is more contagious, there is no evidence that it causes more serious illness.
A technician collects nasal smear samples for coronavirus, in a laboratory at Ben-Gurion International Airport on December 14, 2020. (Yossi Aloni / Flash90)
However, the UK and South Africa variants are causing global concern.
The strains share a common mutation called N501Y, a slight change in one spot in the spike protein that lines the virus. This change is considered to be the reason why they can spread so easily. The variant first discovered in South Africa has an additional mutation called E484K.
Viruses constantly undergo small changes as they spread from person to person. Scientists have used these small modifications to track how the coronavirus has moved around the globe since it was first detected in China, about a year ago.
An initial study released by Pfizer using blood samples from 20 people who received the vaccine found that it remained effective against the British strain, with indications that it could also work against the South African strain, but further testing is needed.
Police in a temporary blockade in the city of Netanya on January 8, 2021, during a third total blockade across the country, in an effort to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (Yossi Aloni / Flash90)
A military task force confirmed on Sunday that the new British lineage is spreading in Israel, calling for stricter restrictions and a complete closure of the educational system. Coronavirus czar Nachman Ash told ministers that 30 people with the strain managed to infect 189.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “big incident” on Friday, when the rapid spread of the virus variant brought hospitals to the breaking point, with the number of patients hospitalized with coronavirus increasing by 27% in the week to 6 of January.
One in 30 people in the British capital became infected with the virus in the week of January 2, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Medical team prepares to administer vaccines Pfizer COVID-19, January 8, 2021 (AP Photo / Ariel Schalit)
Israel’s infection rates remained high, but stable, according to figures released on Friday afternoon, after the country tightened its blockade in an effort to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 that threatens to overshadow its vaccination campaign well. successful.
About 115,000 people received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, said Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, bringing the total number of Israelis vaccinated to 1.7 million out of a population of 9.29 million, by far the highest vaccination rate in the world. The Health Ministry said more than 70 percent of Israelis over 60 have already received their first injection.
However, daily coronavirus cases across the country were around 8,000 for the fourth consecutive day, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
The roads were almost empty in Tel Aviv during Israel’s third national blockade. January 9, 2021 (Miriam Alster / Flash90)
The Ministry of Health said 7,611 cases were confirmed Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 477,357 since the pandemic began.
There were 65,008 active cases. Of these, 920 people were in serious condition, including 283 listed as critically ill, with 224 on ventilators. Another 263 were in a moderate state and the rest had mild symptoms or none at all.
The death toll rose to 3,596.
The agencies contributed to this report.