After a few consecutive days of over 10,000 positive COVID tests, the Health Ministry reported Thursday morning that 8,174 people had tested positive for the virus on Wednesday. Of the 93,283 tests processed in that 24-hour period, 9% came back positive, the ministry said.
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In slightly more encouraging news, a report prepared by the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate said that Israel's rate of coronavirus contagion, the number of people infected by a single confirmed carrier, has dropped below 1 for the first time in some two months, a factor that could signal that the latest outbreak of coronavirus is being checked.
Since midnight between Wednesday and Thursday, 14,620 COVID tests were process, resulting in the identification of 984 new carriers, or a positive rate of 6.7% (compared to the total 9% of all tests processed Wednesday).
As of Thursday morning there were 82,401 active of symptomatic COVID patients in Israel, 1,901 of who were hospitalized. Of the hospitalized patients, 1,132 were listed in serious condition. A total of 367 hospitalized patients were listed in critical condition, and 317 were on ventilators.
The virus or complications from the virus have killed 4,179 Israelis since the pandemic reached the country in early 2020, including 21 who succumbed on Wednesday.
As of Thursday, 4,268 medical workers were in quarantine after testing positive for the virus, including 444 doctors and 1,098 nurses.
Meanwhile, Israel's vaccination campaign has administered the first dose of the vaccine to 2,364,828 people (26.61% of the population). A total of 691,876 people have received both doses of the vaccine (7.79% of the population). According to Military Intelligence, Israel leads the world in vaccinations per capita, however, vaccination of Israelis age 60 and over has slowed in recent days, even though some 80% of that age segment have received a first dose of the vaccine.
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said that on Wednesday alone, 71,000 people received their first dose of the vaccine, and 134,000 received second doses. Edelstein thanked medical teams for their "wonderful work."
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