Coronavirus deaths reported in Israel for first time in over 2 weeks

Israeli hospitals report two deaths today from COVID-19 complications, the first coronavirus fatalities recorded in over two weeks.

Wolfson Medical Center in Holon says a 48-year-old man who was unvaccinated died. He did not have any significant preexisting conditions beyond high blood pressure, according to the hospital.

The other fatality is an 86-year-old man hospitalized at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, who had received both vaccine shots. The man’s wife, in her 70s, is also hospitalized with the coronavirus and is in moderate to serious condition. She too got both doses.

The deaths come as Israel experiences a resurgence in COVID infections, though there have been few deaths and serious cases have risen slowly following the country’s mass vaccination campaign.

The fatalities were not included in the latest Health Ministry figures published this morning, in which the national toll remained at 6,429. Before Wednesday, the last COVID death was recorded on June 23 and prior to that there were no fatalities in more than a week.

The ministry reports 518 new cases yesterday, with active infections rising to 3,568. There have been 844,684 cases confirmed in Israel since the pandemic began.

The number of patients in serious condition ticks up slightly to 46, out of 78 people currently hospitalized.

The positive test rate yesterday was 0.7 percent, identical to the preceding few days.

The ministry also says that nearly 5.7 million people out of Israel’s population of roughly 9.3 million have received at least one shot and close to 5.2 million are fully vaccinated.