As Omicron variant continues to rapidly spread across the country, nearly 12,000 new infections diagnosed on Tuesday; contagion rate jumps to 6.65%; 125 patients in serious condition, compared to 89 the previous week, with 38 connected to ventilators
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Rabin Medical Center’s coronavirus ward(Photo: Rabin Medical Center)
Israel on Wednesday saw its highest daily rise in coronavirus infections since the onset of the pandemic after the Health Ministry reported that 11,958 new cases had been diagnosed the previous day.
The last time the country saw such a large increase in cases was on September 2, when 11,345 people were confirmed to have been infected with the virus.
With over 189,000 tests conducted on Tuesday, the infection rate rose to 6.65%.
Meanwhile, Israel’s coronavirus R number — which gauges how many new cases crop up as a result of a single infection — has also increased and now stands at 1.92, indicating the accelerated spread of the pathogen.
The ministry also reported a rise in coronavirus hospitalizations. Out of 251 patients, 125 are in serious condition compared to 89 last week, a rise of 40%. It also reported that 38 people are connected ventilators.
Since the start of the pandemic, 8,247 Israelis have succumbed to coronavirus-related complications.
It is estimated that the current wave — spurred by the highly infectious Omicron varaint — will lead to record morbidity rates in Israel, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warning earlier this week that the country could soon see 50,000 new cases a day.