Israel reports 21 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours, highest daily toll yet

The Health Ministry on Wednesday morning reported 21 more coronavirus deaths than on Tuesday morning, the highest number announced in any 24-hour period since the start of the pandemic.

The ministry also announced 1,732 new cases over the same period, bringing the total count to 96,996, including 23,779 active cases.

Of them, 401 were in serious condition, including 118 on ventilators. Another 157 were in moderate condition, and the rest had mild or no symptoms.

The death toll grew to 719 after standing at 698 just a day earlier.

The ministry later said 53 additional deaths at old-age homes that had not been counted previously had been added to the tally, bringing it to 772.

Israel has seen the number of deaths accelerate in recent weeks, recording some 310 fatalities over last month alone.

The ministry said 26,681 coronavirus test results came back on Tuesday, 6.2 percent of which were positive.

According to separate data published Wednesday by the ministry, if the current trend continues, it will take an estimated 90 more days until infection levels go down to fewer than 400 per day, the target threshold set by the ministry.

Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Chezy Levy sounded pessimistic in an interview with the Kan public broadcaster.

“We are worried,” he said. “We are at a point where infection rates sometimes go up and sometimes seems to stabilize.

“The hospitals are full of patients in serious condition and on ventilators. We have appealed to the public to work together and protect ourselves, but we don’t always get cooperation,” Levy added.

He said tightening restrictions is inevitable in places where social distancing rules are flouted, and said he “hopes very much” that a nationwide lockdown won’t be needed during the Jewish High Holiday period that begins next month.

Coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu appeared Tuesday to entertain the idea of restrictions on movement for the High Holidays, though he said it was too early to talk about the matter.

Also Tuesday, the Health Ministry deputy director, Prof. Itamar Grotto, expressed concern over the rising number of people in serious condition. During a Knesset committee discussion, he said that while the infection rates have declined somewhat, “I am sorry to have to be a party pooper. The best indicator is the number of serious patients and there are 410 at the moment. We are worried.”

The health and culture ministries on Tuesday agreed that indoor culture venues would open on September 1, with specific safety rules yet to be agreed upon and published.

The ministries said the venues would open in accordance with an outline determined by Gamzu.

“This step joins the news from last week about returning culture performances to outdoor areas. It’s time to return culture to the indoor venues and revive the culture world,” said Culture and Sports Minister Chili Tropper.

The move comes after weeks of growing protests by employees in the culture industry, who have been jobless for many months, demanding the reopening of venues.

The so-called coronavirus cabinet of top ministers is set to convene Thursday to discuss rules on gatherings, after a parliamentary panel refused to extend the government regulations on the matter by 28 days.