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Israel records first known Omicron death
Empty beds are seen in a coronavirus ward at Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem, on October 14, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
The first death of an Israeli with the Omicron coronavirus strain has been recorded in Israel.
The man was in his 60s and suffered from preexisting conditions, and died yesterday at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, the hospital says. He had reportedly received only two vaccine doses.
There are known to be at least 340 Omicron cases in Israel, the Health Ministry said earlier today, which is still a small fraction of the thousands of current cases. Overall case rates have been rising in Israel in recent days, but serious COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates have so far been remaining steady.
