Israel reports just 13 new coronavirus cases, lowest number in more than a year
Topline
Israel recorded just 13 new cases of Covid-19 on Saturday – the lowest number of daily cases in 14 months – as the country continues to reap the benefits of its world-leading vaccine rollout.
People eat at a restaurant in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on March 7, 2021.
AFP via Getty Images
Highlights
Israel‘s health ministry reported on Sunday morning that a record low of more than 9,236 tests performed on Saturday came back positive.
That brings the country’s overall test positivity rate to just over 0.1%, the lowest since the pandemic began last March.
The United States, on the other hand, saw nearly 4% of its more than 1.1 million tests administered on Saturday come back positive, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as it continues to report an average of almost 50,000 new ones. case every day.
New cases and deaths in Israel have been down sharply since the start of this year, with the country reporting an average of 1.9 deaths and 82 new cases per day over the past week.
The health ministry said 102 patients are currently in serious condition (including 62 intubated), a decrease of about 92% from when the pandemic was at its peak.
Large number
6.363. This is the number of Israelis who have died from Covid-19.
To monitor
While Covid-19 is currently under control in Israel, the virus is still rampant in Palestine, despite a recent decline. The occupied West Bank and Gaza have recorded an average of 1,132 new cases and 17 deaths per day over the past week. Israel has been criticized for having largely neglected the 5 million Palestinians living in the territories, despite its responsibility for the health of the Palestinians as an occupying power.
Key context
Israel has been widely recognized for organizing one of the most successful vaccine deployments in the world. According to The New York TimesThe vaccine tracking system, the country comes second only to the small East African nation of Seychelles in terms of the proportion of residents vaccinated. A majority (56%) of Israel’s 9 million people have been fully immunized, while 60% have received at least one shot. Israel has largely returned to normal life, with the lifting of requirements for outdoor masks. Due to its success in combating the virus – which at its peak infected more than 10,000 people and killed nearly 100 in one day – Israel has yet to fully reopen its borders. The country announced in mid-April that it would start welcoming some tour groups again from May 23, although “health considerations” will determine the “timing” of the trip. The variant of the coronavirus which is wreaking havoc in India worries Israeli health officials, as they have identified at least 41 cases of the mutated strain.
Further reading
“Covid deaths in Israel reach zero with nearly 60% of the population vaccinated” (Forbes)
“Israel will open international travel to vaccinated tourists in May” (Forbes)
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