Second lawmaker this week announces he contracted coronavirus

A Knesset member from the opposition Yamina party announced on Wednesday he had contracted COVID-19, the second lawmaker this week to say he was infected with the coronavirus.

Matan Kahana said that he had a low fever but was feeling well.

“I woke up this morning with a slight fever. I went into isolation and took a coronavirus test. I just received the results, which were positive,” Kahana said in a statement, adding that he was in good enough condition to continue working from home.

It was not immediately clear whether he had been in contact with any other lawmakers, ministers or other senior officials who may need to quarantine as a result of potential exposure.

On Monday, the office of Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis announced he had contracted the coronavirus and gone into isolation at his home.

The two were the latest in a string of ministers and lawmakers who have contracted the virus

The Health Ministry said Wednesday that 663 coronavirus cases were identified the previous day. Testing levels were back up, with 40,242 carried out on Tuesday and a positive rate confirming infection falling to 1.6 percent.

There are 8,167 confirmed active cases in the country, with the total tally since the start of the pandemic at 320,912, according to the Health Ministry.

Of the active cases, 307 were in serious condition, including 135 on ventilators. Another 103 were in moderate condition and the rest had mild or no symptoms.

The death toll in Israel since the start of the pandemic stood at 2,684.