Unvaccinated doctor said to infect several with COVID after continuing to work

A doctor who chose to not be vaccinated against COVID-19 is facing a backlash after she became infected with the coronavirus yet continued to work even after showing symptoms.

The doctor, a family physician, is now hospitalized in serious condition and on a ventilator, according to Channel 13 news, which claimed eight infections had been traced back to her. The report did not say where the doctor is based or which hospital she is being treated in.

The physician worked out of a private clinic that accepted patients from both the Maccabi and Clalit health management organizations. She first began to show symptoms of COVID-19 at the beginning of last week, but did not take a virus test and went on receiving patients, according to the report.

In light of the incident, the Health Ministry on Monday demanded stiffening measures against doctors who chose to not be vaccinated in order to meet with patients, the station said.

Israel has in recent weeks seen a resurgence of COVID-19 cases fueled by the spread of the Delta variant of the virus, which was first detected in India.

The highly contagious mutation of the virus is believed to have been brought into the country by travelers returning from abroad.

Health Ministry figures released Tuesday showed that there were 501 new virus cases diagnosed Monday, the highest figure since March 26.

Around half of the new cases were among school-aged children, according to the Ynet news site.

The increase brought the number of active cases to 2,901, with 843,611 infections confirmed in Israel since the pandemic began.

According to the ministry, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine distributed to most Israelis is only effective at stopping some 64% of infections, though it still protects against serious illness in over 90% of cases.

The coronavirus cabinet is slated to meet Tuesday evening to weigh a series of new restrictions amid the rise in new cases.