Reproduction Rate in Israel Falls Below 1
2 min read
The reproduction rate (R) in the State of Israel is used to reflect the ability of the novel coronavirus to spread. In recent news, it has finally fallen below 1, which is the first time that this has happened in nearly a month and a half. This good news was delivered by the Health Ministry itself on Thursday.
The fact that the R is below 1 means that each person diagnosed with the disease, is passing it on, on average, to less than one person. This figure is quite important for the country if they are to try and reverse the rising morbidity. Meanwhile, around three million citizens of Israel have been vaccinated until now.
On Wednesday, the country registered 8,174 new cases of the coronavirus, as per a report published by the Health Ministry. Nearly 93,283 tests were administered, of which 9% showed a positive diagnosis.
Moreover, 1,169 patients were in critical condition on Thursday morning and 317 were intubated. The death toll came to be 4,179, which included 37 more people than the previous day.
In addition, on Wednesday, the ministry announced that they will be launching a campaign to increase awareness and in the ultra-Orthodox, Haredi community. The sector will be informed about the risk that the pandemic poses and the importance of abiding by the rules. The number of people infected and consequently, the ratio of deaths is higher amongst the Haredi community. Time and time again, there have been serious violations of health guidelines reported in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods and towns.
Meanwhile, the situation in the country is also serious. The number of patients currently in a serious condition is putting an unexpected strain on the Israeli health system. The number of new cases on a day to day basis per capita, is also the highest in Israel, as compared to the rest of the world. However, the company is focusing on vaccinating the people at a record pace.
Around 200,000 people in the country were inoculated on Tuesday and Wednesday both. More than three million citizens have been given at least the first shot of the virus, which includes 80% of the population aged over 60. Furthermore, 600,000 Israelis have already received both doses of the vaccine to protect them against the disease.
Currently, the only people allowed to get the vaccine are those who are over the age of 40, along with teachers, medical staff, and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
