Hebrew University researchers advising the government on the pandemic assess that by the end of January, Israel will have between 1,000 and 2,500 seriously ill patients, Kan news reports.
The number currently stands at 94, but experts believe the Omicron strain could yet cause a massive spike, as daily cases rise to the thousands.
According to Channel 12, meanwhile, experts who met the prime minister today told him they believe there will be 20,000 cases a day by sometime next week.
Health care workers take test samples of Israelis in a drive through complex to check if they have been infected with COVID-19, in Modi’in, on December 26, 2021. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)
They also said they expect the current wave to reach a peak in about 3 weeks from now, with a record number of cases and of serious cases, before it starts to recede.
The report also said that because so many people will likely be in quarantine, there could be a shortage of key workers in all kinds of fields, among them teachers and bus drivers.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel