Hospital chiefs don’t see rising COVID cases as sign Israel facing fresh wave

Hospital chiefs say Israel does not appear to be on the cusp of a major COVID-19 outbreak amid a resurgence in cases, noting the low number of infected people requiring hospitalization and the country’s high vaccination rate.

“I think the likelihood of a significant wave of morbidity is low thanks to the level of vaccination among the population,” Dr. Michael Halbertal, head of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, tells Channel 12 news.

Halbertal voices support for the renewed indoor mask mandate and increased quarantine enforcement, but sounds a note of caution about the prospect of reimposing restrictions on businesses.

“If we increase the rigorousness in a disproportionate way, we may harm public trust and reach a situation of a lack of cooperation. The decisions need to be made in accordance with the data and not produce hysteria. Right now the level of serious patients who need hospitalization is still not large,” he says.

The director of Holon’s Wolfson Hospital, Dr. Anat Engel, tells the network she believes the rising cases are reflective of local outbreaks. She says the hospital currently has one coronavirus patient in serious condition, who was not vaccinated.

“At this stage it appears that it is still local outbreaks and in the community, with asymptomatic morbidity or light symptoms also among adults,” she says.