Nearly 2,100 new virus infections detected over 24 hours – Health Ministry

Figures released by the Health Ministry Tuesday evening showed a spike of 2,091 new coronavirus cases confirmed in the last 24 hours, as daily infection numbers continued to rise after trending downward in recent weeks.

The number of deaths rose to 858, two more than an update from Tuesday morning, but 14 more than 24 hours earlier.

There were 427 patients in serious condition, including 121 being treated on ventilators. One hundred and seventy-three Israelis were in moderate condition, while the remainder were experiencing little or no symptoms at all.

The Health Ministry said that 30,037 tests were carried out on Monday with 6.6 percent of them coming back positive. The ministry said 21,057 tests had been conducted thus far on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday evening, a Knesset spokesperson said that Deputy Public Security Minister Gadi Yevarkan (Likud) had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Yevarkan was the second member of the cabinet to test positive in three days, after Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (Blue and White) on Sunday, sending several lawmakers into quarantine, including Yevarkan.

Yevarkan was present at the Knesset on Monday and lawmakers who were in contact with him are being asked to stay away from the plenum until further instructions are given, a Knesset spokesperson said.

At a Tuesday meeting of the Knesset Coronavirus Committee, which oversees the country’s handling of the virus outbreak, chair Yifat Shasha-Biton told a senior Health Ministry official that the ministry was “driving the system crazy” with its requirements ahead of the opening of the school year.

Shasha-Biton made the comments to Health Ministry Deputy Director-General Prof. Itamar Grotto, after he suggested that the current plan to reopen the year under a system of full classes, capsules or remote learning — depending on the age of the students — should be reassessed only after the High Holidays.

The spat came as the planned meeting of the so-called coronavirus cabinet was delayed amid disagreements on regulations regarding group prayers in the upcoming High Holidays.

According to Channel 12 news, ultra-Orthodox ministers are pushing back against recommendations by coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu regarding the number of set capsules of people that will be allowed to pray in the same synagogue, depending on each locality’s rating according to a red, yellow, or green color-coded system based on the number of infections.

On Thursday, ministers refused for a third time to approve Gamzu’s “traffic light” plan, reportedly due to opposition from ultra-Orthodox ministers, who oppose restrictions that could shutter synagogues in high-infection areas.

The matter was reportedly supposed to be debated at Monday’s now-canceled meeting.

In a plan unveiled in recent days, Gamzu outlined restrictions to be imposed during the High Holiday period, which begins next month.

The plan would only place restrictions on cities with high morbidity rates, where the rate of infection is not slowed by September 10. The restrictions will take effect starting from Rosh Hashanah until October 11, after the Sukkot holiday.