COVID: Israel surpasses 7,000 deaths since start of pandemic

Israel surpassed 7,000 coronavirus deaths on Monday night, according to updated data from the Health Ministry, as the cabinet prepared to meet to discuss new measures to contain the outbreak, including approving an outline for the gatherings at the Western Wall ahead of the holiday and a requirement to present a green pass for all workers in education and health institutions, as well as for those who work in venues where the customers need to hold the document.

As of 6 p.m. the death toll stood at 7,030, 40 more than the previous update in the morning. Some 551 people succumbed to COVID in August, ten times more than in July, when 52 individuals died. In June only seven people were killed by the disease.

Some 6,621 new cases were identified on Sunday – a lower number than on previous weekdays but with a lower number of tests processed (around 90,000 compared to 150,000). At the same time, some 7.8% of the people screened tested positive, the highest in several months.

As of Monday, the number of serious patients stood at 736, similar to the one on the previous day.

During a live briefing, Health Ministry’s Director General prof. Nachman Ash said that while at the moment the outbreak is slowing down, thanks to the effect of the vaccination campaign, they are hoping to see a decrease in morbidity soon.

Coronavirus regulations are kept at the Western Wall, Jerusalem, 2021 (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

So far some 2.1 million Israelis have gotten the third dose.

Of the 79,000 active cases, some 38,000 are schoolchildren.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz and Education Minister Yifat Shasha Biton met to discuss the opening of the school year, which is set to begin on Wednesday.

According to Bennett’s decisions, all unvaccinated teachers and staff will be required to take a coronavirus rapid tests twice a week. In an interview to Channel 12, Education Ministry’s Director General Yigal Slovik said that those who refused will not be allowed in the school buildings and will be sent home on unpaid leave.

Rapid tests will be widely used also to keep unvaccinated children monitored.

In addition, in grades 7-12 classes where less than 70% of the students have received at least the first shot will begin the year learning remotely, until the rate is reached. From September 30th, in order to study in person at least 70% of the students will need to have received two shots.

Regarding the Western Wall plan, the cabinet is expected to approve an outline to hold the ‘selichot’ prayers.

Selichot are penitential poems recited every night in the period leading to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In normal years, up to tens of thousands of people can flock to the Western Wall to attend one of the sessions.

According to the plan that ministers will discuss, up to 8,000 worshipers will be allowed in each time, divided in capsules. Masks are going to be mandatory.