Coronavirus peak: 1,029 critically ill patients on day 3 of closure

Coronavirus peak: 1,029 critically ill patients on day 3 of closure

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There are 1,029 people with severe coronavirus status in Israeli hospitals, the Ministry of Health reported Sunday morning – a peak since the country’s crisis began.

The news comes on the first day of the week of the third blockade and when the health funds begin to administer the second doses of the Pfizer vaccine. In addition, at least another 100,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in Israel around 4pm.

On Saturday, 5,047 people were diagnosed with coronavirus – 6.3% of the 82,006 people who were examined. More than 60 people died over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 3,651.

In general, hospitals are starting to become overcrowded with coronavirus patients. The Rambam Medical Center in Haifa reported that 106 people were hospitalized – a record number for the center. At the same time, Hadassah-University Medical Center reported 136 patients and said it was opening a new coronavirus unit. In addition, the Herzog Medical Center in Jerusalem reported 102 coronavirus patients, about 27 who were hospitalized on Friday and Saturday as the result of an outbreak in one of Jerusalem’s nursing homes. About 40 people are in serious condition. Senior Health Ministry officials are already saying that the block is likely to be extended in the past two weeks due to the infection rate. The decision will need to be made based on the numbers and also on how quickly the new vaccine shipment from Pfizer arrives and is distributed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel will receive millions of vaccines in the next two months, enough to vaccinate anyone who wants to receive the vaccine by the end of March.

Netanyahu and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein received their second doses of the vaccine on Saturday night, in a small ceremony at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer. Others who received their first doses 21 days ago will be injected today.

Coronavirus commissioner Nachman Ash received his second dose. After the vaccination, he told KAN News that he is seeing an increase in the number of people wanting to be vaccinated in various sectors, including the Arab community, which had shown initial hesitation. A report by the Ministry of Health showed that around 42% of Arab citizens over the age of 60 and residing in cities with an Arab majority were vaccinated.

“I’m excited today,” he said in a statement. “We are in the midst of a large and successful vaccination campaign and the start of the second dose. I am satisfied with the public’s response and invite the target populations to continue vaccinating. At the same time, I mention that all regulations to ensure the health of us all still need to be maintained. “

So far, more than 1.8 million Israelis have received their first dose of the vaccine, Edelstein said earlier on Sunday. More than 40,000 Israelis were vaccinated on Saturday alone. In total, 72% of people over 60 are vaccinated, the Ministry of Health reported Sunday morning. About 59% of vaccinated people are over 60 years old.

To help ensure the blockade is effective, the police have stepped up their presence across the country. Sunday will be the first real test of his ability to prevent people from violating regulations and traveling more than 1,000 meters from home for prohibited purposes.

However, the police said they will try to make travel easier for essential workers and remove some blockages on intercity roads during peak travel times between 9 am and 6 pm. During this time, the traffic division will place police officers on motorcycles to monitor travelers for anyone who looks suspicious, such as cars carrying families with children.

Remember that there is no school due to the block, except for special education.

Police said they distributed nearly 10,000 tickets to people who broke the rules over the weekend. Most – more than 7,000 – were administered to people who left home.

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