The number of coronavirus fatalities in Israel rose to 19 on Tuesday, after two female patients and one elderly man, 91, succumbed to the illness.
One of the women, in her 50s, had a prior medical history and had been attached to life support at Sheba Medical Center in central Israel for the past week following cardiac and respiratory failure.
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"She was hospitalized two weeks ago, and doctors fought for her life for over a week," said a hospital spokesperson. "Her condition worsened and, unfortunately, she passed away last night."
"We see a daily increase in the number of patients in serious condition, among them younger patients with no underlying conditions. There aren't many of them here, but they do exist," the spokesperson added.
The other victim, Tamar Peretz Levy, 49, from the central Israeli city of Lod, passed away overnight Monday at Shamir Medical Center near Tel Aviv. She had also suffered from previous medical issues. Levy, now the country's youngest coronavirus fatality, is survived by four-year-old twins. Her husband died of heart failure seven months after their birth.
Levy's sister-in-law has promised to take care of the twins.
Lod Mayor Yair Revivo said most of Levy's relatives are currently in quarantine. Peretz herself had been hospitalized since last Thursday.
"Tamar was a hero, an engineer at Alta in the aerospace industry, who fought for many years to have a family and bring the twins into the world," Revivo said in a Facebook post.
As of Tuesday morning, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel was 4,831 – among them 95 in moderate condition and 83 in critical condition. Of those, 69 patients are on ventilators. Meanwhile, 163 Israelis have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and have been released home from hospitals.
On Tuesday, the Health Ministry urged Israelis to use makeshift protective masks, such as wrapping material around one's face, rather than stocking up on surgical masks amid a worldwide shortage.
Ministry Director Moshe Bar Siman-Tov said the ministry will release guidelines to the public on when and how to don masks.
"We're not telling the public to go around with surgical masks," he said, explaining that a piece of material would suffice.
The Health Ministry also said that Jerusalem has the most virus cases in the country, followed by Bnei Brak. Tel Aviv is in third place, with 278 cases.
On Tuesday morning, a 34-year-old patient attempted to escape a coronavirus ward at Tiberias's Poriya Hospital by jumping out of a third-floor window.
According to reports, the patient was in mild condition prior to his jump, which resulted in serious injuries that will require surgery. He was initially admitted to the hospital following a period of quarantine and had spoken to social workers several times, Channel 12 reported.
"We are repeatedly alerted to the serious mental consequences that may occur following the outbreak of the virus," Dr. Zvi Fishel, head of the Israel Psychiatric Association, said in a statement carried by the network.
Meanwhile, since last week, there has been a consistent decline in the rate of coronavirus infections in Israel, Prof. Gabi Barabash, former director of the Health Ministry and former director of Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv told Channel 12 News.
Also on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to self-quarantine after a parliamentary aide tested positive for the virus.
The prime minister later tested negative for COVID-19.
In a televised address issued prior to his test result, Netanyahu noted that "this evening I am speaking to you from the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem. Even though my medical tests have still not concluded, I have decided to enter into voluntary quarantine in order to set a personal example. The cameraman is six meters away," he said, adding, "I am continuing to work from home."
Israel will spend 80 billion shekels ($22 billion) to help the economy weather the coronavirus crisis and on Monday Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon said that he expects a gradual return of business activity after the Passover holiday next month.
