A total of 1,573 new corona cases were confirmed in Israel in the 24-hour period from midnight Monday to midnight Tuesday, the Corona National Information and Knowledge Center reported Wednesday.
In that same period, 30,297 corona tests were conducted. As of Tuesday morning, 195 corona patients were hospitalized in serious condition.
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The number of active or symptomatic cases nationwide stood at 22,417 as of Wednesday morning. The death toll since the epidemic first began in Israel stood at 375, and 19,824 people have recovered.
Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch said in an interview to Army Radio on Wednesday that "If the rise in new cases continues, a decision will be made to declare a shutdown by the end of this week or immediately afterward."
Kisch noted that despite the grim overall picture, Tuesday had seen the first drop in the percentage of positive corona tests in a week, from 6.4% on Monday to 5.63%.
"A special meeting was held and we decided to wait three days to see if the steps we have already taken are effective," Kisch said.
In a related development, the Health Ministry has reached out to former head of the IDF's Planning Directorate, Maj. Gen. Amir Abulafia, and asked him to serve as national project manager in Israel's fight against coronavirus.
Abulafia was contacted by Health Ministry Director-General Professor Hezi Levi, with approval from Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.
Over the past few days, the top echelon of the ministry has held a number of meetings with Abulafia and promised him that he would be given their full support and have everything he needs if he agreed to take on the job.
According to reports, Abulafia's main concern is that the current arrangement – or lack thereof – will not give him the ability to stabilize the nation's efforts to combat coronavirus, including epidemiological research, quarantines, and preparations for the wave expected this coming winter.
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