Coronavirus death toll rises to 229 as new daily infections dip below 100

Just 84 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, in first time since March; 82 patients on ventilators; only 6,363 people currently diagnosed as sick

Two more coronavirus deaths brought the national death toll to 229 Saturday evening, totaling four fatalities over the past 24 hours.

The rate of new infections dipped below 100 for the first time since March 21, with 84 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours.

The total number of virus cases in the country was at 16,185, but with a majority of those having recovered from the illness, the currently diagnosed sick was at 6,363.

Of those infected, 105 were in serious condition, of whom 82 were on ventilators. Sixty-two people were in moderate condition, while the rest were experiencing mild symptoms.

On Wednesday, the number of Israelis who have recovered from COVID-19 surpassed those who are sick for the first time since the start of the pandemic, a trend that continues.

In recent days, Israel’s infection rate has dropped off significantly, with the number of new cases over 24-hour periods consistently falling below 200 since Sunday evening.

The lower number of cases has coincided with a drop in testing, though the Health Ministry says it has the capacity to run 15,000 samples a day but not enough suspected cases to test.

As the infection rate declined, the government has begun easing restrictions on commerce and movement, including allowing many businesses to reopen and lifting the limit on the distance Israelis can exercise from their homes.

Ministers are set to convene Sunday to discuss easing additional restrictions, namely lifting the limit of 100 meters Israelis can go from their homes if not for a specifically permitted activity, according to media reports.

The Health Ministry considers the coming week to be crucial for determining a time frame for further reopening the economy. Officials will gauge the effects of recent reopening measures to make their decisions going forward.

However, police on Friday reportedly expressed concern over the flouting of social distancing rules after thousands of Israelis took advantage of the warm weather to spend time outside, heading to beaches in Tel Aviv and Herzliya. Many were not keeping to social distancing rules and not wearing masks. Others thronged to markets to shop ahead of Shabbat or were just spending time in outdoor spaces.