4 deaths take virus toll to 198, including 3rd resident of J’lem nursing home

Health Ministry says 130 Israelis are in serious condition, of whom 102 are on ventilators, and 99 are in moderate condition; 6,159 have recovered from coronavirus

By ToI Staff 25 April 2020, 12:08 pm

Edit

Magen David Adom medics wearing protective clothing evacuate a suspected coronavirus patient to the coronavirus unit at Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem, April 20, 2020. (Nati Shohat/Flash90)

The Health Ministry on Saturday morning announced there had been four further deaths from COVID-19, taking Israel’s recorded death toll to 198.

The fatalities included 86-year-old Shoshana Ben-Yishai, who was a resident of the Ganei Ora assisted living facility in Jerusalem. Ben-Yishai died at the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot.

According to the Ynet news site, Ben-Yishai’s relatives were allowed to say goodbye to her when the hospital gave them full protective gear.

Nearly 40 percent of all deaths in Israel as a result of the pathogen have been residents of nursing homes.

There were no immediate details on the other fatalities.

Israeli soldiers of the Home Front Command wearing full protective clothing seen at a nursing home in the city of Bnei Brak, April 14, 2020. (Flash90)

There were 15,148 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, an increase of 266 new cases over the past 24 hours.

The ministry figures showed 130 Israelis are in serious condition, a slight drop from a day earlier, of whom 102 are on ventilators, and 99 are in moderate condition. The remainder have mild or no symptoms.

In addition, 6,159 Israelis have recovered from COVID-19, a number which is included in the tally of total cases.

Meanwhile, officials warned Friday that as parents become increasingly hesitant to go to hospitals and health clinics for fear of the coronavirus, there has been a drop in child vaccination rates and a surge in home births in the past few weeks.

They warned that the trend could open the door for a second, simultaneous virus outbreak, with particular fears regarding measles.

In Israel, the Kan public broadcaster reported there was a 30% drop in the administration of the MMRV vaccine in March and the first week of April compared with the same period last year. World Health Organization officials said a similar decline had been seen around the world.

MMRV refers to measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox).

The Health Ministry is urging parents to be sure to go to health clinics to vaccinate their children, Kan reported.

Several countries, including Israel and the US, suffered from a severe outbreak of measles last year, which resulted in fatalities.