The current outbreak of the COVID-19 “Delta variant” has begun to spread exponentially across the Jewish State with some fully vaccinated adults among those contracting the virus.
The current, preliminary doubling rate is approximately every five days. “We are waiting out the rate of serious cases, which might or might not start increasing by the end of this week, to see whether we have a crisis, or simply a “flu” outbreak,” said Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the Health Ministry’s public health division.
The fact that more than 60,000 Israelis are going every day to be tested indicates that people are taking this seriously,” he said.
Take a look at the pattern on a list of the newly diagnosed daily cases of the virus for the past two weeks.
June 13 Sun – 3
June 14 Mon – 26
June 15 Tue – 26
June 16 Wed – 13
June 17 Thu – 27
June 18 Fri – 35
June 19 Sat – 46
June 20 Sun – 49
June 21 Mon – 125
June 22 Tue – 111
June 23 Wed – 138
June 24 Thu – 228
June 25 Fri – 229
June 26 Sat – 114
June 27 Sun – 145
June 28 Mon – 283
June 29 Tue – 224+
About half of the adults who became infected were fully inoculated with the Pfizer BioNTech anti-COVID-19 vaccine.
Professor Ron Balicer, an epidemiology adviser who heads the Health Ministry’s coronavirus task force and is chief innovation officer for the Clalit HMO in Israel, told the Wall Street Journal that preliminary data showed 90 percent of new infections were “likely” caused by the highly contagious Delta variant (B.1.617.2), first identified in India.
Israeli COVID-19 By the Numbers
Last Thursday, the number of new cases of the virus in Israel topped 200. Earlier in the month, the daily average of new cases was around 10. The number of new cases was close to 300 this Monday (283) and from midnight to Tuesday evening, there were more than 220.
“Initially we found infections in people who returned from travel abroad,” health officials said. “But now we are seeing more newly-confirmed cases that are the result of community spread and people violating quarantine,” Alroy-Preis told the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Tuesday.
An example: At least 20 people were infected in the city of Petach Tikva after a child mandated into quarantine was instead sent to school. That resulted in 723 students – six classes — returning to Zoom lessons.
However, despite the climbing numbers, only 21 patients (down from 31 four weeks ago) are listed in serious or critical condition; 14 (down from 18 three weeks ago) of those are on life support, according to the Health Ministry.
Alroy-Preis pointed out that even though the rate of new daily cases is climbing, the number of people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals is still dropping, from 56 three weeks ago to just 45 patients on Tuesday.
Intensive Campaign to Vaccinate Israeli Teens
More than half of the Israeli public has at least received a first dose of the vaccine (5,566,179); that figure includes the 5,163,037 Israelis who are fully vaccinated, having completed the two-shot series.
Three hundred IDF reservists have been given an extension on their service in the military’s Coronavirus Unit to help with the massive campaign to inoculate Israeli teens.
The number of adolescents who are already vaccinated is relatively low; however, if one considers the number of Israeli teens who have made appointments to get the shot, plus those who have recovered from the virus as well, it can be seen that more than half of the teen population will be protected from the virus by July’s end.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s teenage daughter also got the shot.
More ‘Red’ Cities in Ministry’s Traffic Light System
As of Tuesday, four cities in Israel were designated with “red” status: Kfar Saba, Binyamina, Kochav Yair and Tzufim. (Just a few days ago, only Binyamina was “red”.)
The city of Modi’in has “orange” status.
Four cities have “yellow” status, including Herzliya, Pardes Chana, Ramle and Tel Aviv.
Israeli Travel Ban Affects 7 Countries
In response to the increasing global morbidity, the Health Ministry is recommending that Israelis avoid all non-essential travel abroad.
Attempting to fly to countries listed as banned destinations due to the pandemic will result in a fine of NIS 5,000 and possibly an arrest as well, as happened to eight Israeli who tried to fly to Russia on Tuesday morning with their foreign passports but were instead removed from the flight and turned over to police.
In addition to Russia, the list of “red” countries includes Argentina, Asura, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa.
The ban is in effect until July 11 and may be extended according to the level of morbidity in each country. For those who require an exception permit to travel to “maximum risk” countries, one must submit a request from the government. Click here for more information and forms.