The nearly 50,000 coronavirus tests conducted from Monday to Tuesday morning resulted in 861 (1.8%) new confirmed positives, the Health Ministry reported Tuesday.
The number of active or symptomatic cases nationwide on Tuesday morning was 8,137, of whom 563 were hospitalized. Of all hospitalized COVID patients, 142 were listed in critical condition. Another 90 were listed in moderate condition. There were 124 patients on ventilators.
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Since the start of the COVID pandemic, 325,143 Israelis have tested positive for the virus, and the death toll stands at 2,736.
There were 539 members of the medical profession in quarantine on Tuesday, including 89 doctors, 175 nurses, and 275 members of other professions.
Meanwhile, Eilat – whose tourism-based economy suffered more than the rest of the country from the economic fallout of the coronavirus epidemic in Israel – reopened on Tuesday as a "green" city.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein spoke at a ceremony at the entrance to Eilat.
"Families will be able to vacation in Eilat and the Dead Sea and feel a little normalcy in the shadow of COVID, and I'm very happy about that," Edelstein said.
Edelstein asked the public not to visit Eilat without bringing negative COVID test results.
"We are thinking about the local residents, too. We exempted [from weekly testing] workers and children under age 10 and students in special education. But it's not easy… if we exempt a lot of people, the project here will be short-lived," Edelstein wanred.
Some residents of Eilat and the area protested the plan to reopen the city, objecting to the requirement that they undergo COVID tests once a week as part of the plan to keep the city open. Residents launched a "slow-drive" convoy to express their displeasure with the decision.
"The 'green islands' law is welcome, opening the hotels is welcome, we believe that the entire city and all its restaurants and attractions should be open. However, there is no sense in hurting our basic rights and forcing us to be tested for COVID once a week just so we can go back to our routine, like every other citizen of Israel can. We are calling on the Knesset to exempt local residents… we've been a green island for months. We welcome tourism but ask to be allowed to live our lives," the protesters said.
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