Israel’s Health Ministry published its Covid-19 statistics on Motzei Shabbos for the weekend. According to the report, 67 people died from Covid-19 in Israel over the weekend. 54 of them died on Friday. The total number of people who have died as a result of the disease since it first struck Israel is 4,326. On Friday, 7,316 people tested positive for the virus. There are currently 1,844 people hospitalized throughout the country, 1,171 of them are in serious condition and 335 are on respirators.

The Ministry also announced that an additional six women who are pregnant have been hospitalized in serious condition after contracting the British strain of the Covid-19 virus. The Ministry issued a statement which said, “After recent discoveries regarding the infection rate, pregnant women are being given priority to be vaccinated against the disease. Any pregnant woman who is interested in receiving the vaccine may do so.”

Wolfson Hospital in Holon told the Health Ministry that their Corona wards are overflowing and that they will no longer be accepting Corona patients. Patients will be diverted to other hospitals in the area. There are currently 80 people hospitalized in Wolfson Hospital’s Corona ward, the most since the outbreak of the virus.

All Health Management Organizations (HMOs) in Israel (Kuppot Cholim) will now be vaccinating high school students aged 16-18. As the vaccines will be given to minors, all students are to be accompanied by a parent or must bring a signed document from their parent allowing them to be vaccinated.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu brought together for an urgent meeting, representatives of the Health Ministry, the Transportation Ministry, and the National Security Agency. The Prime Minister demanded that Ben Gurion Airport be closed immediately, effectively closing Israel’s international borders, due to the new mutations of the virus.

Nearly 1,000 people participated in the weekly protest against the Prime Minister in Pari Square in Jerusalem. The protests, which are organized by the “Black Flags” are in their 31st consecutive week.

On Motzei Shabbos, Hundreds of people protested in London Park, near the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv due to the arrest of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny earlier this week.

A woman’s body was found in an abandoned building near the town of Neve Zohar close to the Dead Sea. The body was found by hikers who stopped in the area to rest. Police began an investigation into the incident and the body was taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in order to discover the cause of death.

A 19-year-old man was in serious condition after he was stabbed in Dimona. United Hatzalah volunteers and Magen David Adom ambulance teams treated the man at the scene. He was then taken to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva for further treatment. Police opened an investigation into the incident.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)