Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructs the Health Ministry to prepare the healthcare system to handle as many as 5,000 seriously ill coronavirus patients at a time.
The figure suggests there is no clear sign that the steep rise in the infection rate is slowing or reversing.
There are 821 virus patients currently hospitalized in serious condition.
The prime minister wants hospitals prepared for up to 1,500 patients immediately, 3,200 by mid-October and 5,000 by November, according to Channel 12.
While health officials have for months cited 800 seriously ill coronavirus patients as the maximum the healthcare system can handle, hospitals have been steadily expanding their coronavirus wards and training staff to prepare for higher numbers.
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