Health minister warns of possible new lockdown as infection rate jumps to 2.5%

Newly appointed Health Minister Yuli Edelstein warns of the possibility of having to institute a new lockdown, saying the rate of positive coronavirus tests was now five times higher than several days ago.

At a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Edelstein notes the sharp increase in infections over the past few days, adding that “either it all turns out to be okay, or we will be back under lockdown, and much faster than people think.”

Edelstein said that while a week ago the rate of positive results out of all COVID-19 tests was about 0.5 percent, that had jumped to 2.5% on Saturday.

Stressing that Israel has the capacity to test 15,000 people per day, he called on people to go get tested whenever they have symptoms: “If the public cooperates, we will know what the real numbers are among the population.”

— Michael Bachner

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