Israel’s Health Ministry recorded 1,751 new coronavirus cases as of Thursday morning. The number of active patients is currently 24,576, of whom 345 are seriously ill and 100 are ventilated. The death rate has risen to 569. There were 70 fatalities in the last week alone.

The coronavirus cabinet made a decision on Wednesday evening to lift the weekend restrictions which health officials say were not effective in reducing the infection rate. The restriction on using playgrounds in public areas was also lifted.

The ministers also decided to reopen Israel skies by August 16.

According to news reports, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu‏‏ and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein encouraged the reimposition of a lockdown but were opposed by coronavirus czar Prof. Ronni Gamzu and most ministers.

“No country with as high an infection rate as Israel has dealt with it without a lockdown,” Gamzu said. “The Israeli government is sensitive to the delicate socio-economic situation and the difficulties of the public and therefore, it has placed its trust in me to deal with it in a way that does not include a full lockdown. This is apparently the last opportunity for a moderate approach. If the infection rate does not decline within two weeks, we’ll have to re-consider restrictions including the possibility of a local or nationwide lockdown.”

The ministers also agreed that of September 1, the “traffic light plan” for managing restrictions to stem the pandemic through local authorities in accordance with its infection rate will be implemented. (The full plan will be presented to the public ahead of the date of its implementation.)

Marina Chivatova, 74, was released this week from Shaarei Tzedek Hospital after being hospitalized due to the coronavirus for 99 days, believed to be the longest hospitalization in the world due to COVID-19.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)