Since early January, 1,256,077 Israelis have been tested for the coronavirus, the Health Ministry said Thursday evening, representing 47.5% of the country’s total caseload since the pandemic began two years ago.
Ministry data shows that 405,667 Israelis contracted the virus between Sunday and Thursday afternoon alone. Last week, that figure stood at 493,489 and is expected to be eclipsed by the weekend.
By comparison, in January and February 2021 – the peak of the country’s third wave of infections – 351,783 cases were confirmed.
Mounting cases have been attributed to the rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Hospitals were treating 931 COVID-19 patients in serious condition, down from just 101 earlier this month. The number of critically ill patients connected to ventilators has also increased to 212.
Tuesday saw the highest single-day jump in new serious cases, with 195 such cases recorded, surpassing the previous record set on January 25, 2021, in which 185 patients were hospitalized with serious illness linked to the COVID-19.
The ministry said 8,541 Israelis have succumbed to complications from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, 290 of them in January and six on Thursday alone.
Official data indicates that the number of coronavirus deaths in Israel is increasing by 20 to 22 people dying each day on average, but ministry officials have admitted that these figures could be up to double.
There are currently 480,501 active coronavirus carriers in Israel, most of them in home quarantine with only mild symptoms or none.
Jerusalem leads the country in active cases with 39,901. The capital is then followed by Tel Aviv with 22,802 cases, Petah Tikva with 15,235, Rishon Lezion with 13,895 and Be’er Sheva with 13,562 active cases.
