Many corona wards throughout the country have closed down, as few new patients are being admitted following the nation’s speedy vaccination process that has reduced their population dramatically in a matter of weeks.
Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital, considered one of the busiest in the country, at one point was taking in over 140 corona patients a day, but only three new patients were admitted on Tuesday.
Prof. Masad Barhum, director of the Galilee Medical Center, said that recovery from the virus has been slower in the north.
“There has been a gradual decline in the number of hospitalized patients, but this decline is only moderate compared with other hospitals,” he said.
The vaccination rate in Galilee has been lower in the Arab sector, which is why the decline in infections has been relatively slow. Today, Barhum said, “we are only dealing with 21 corona patients, who were not all vaccinated. But at the peak of the virus we were dealing with 115 hospitalized patients at a time.”
Israel’s Health Ministry reported on Thursday that 489 people tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, out of nearly 38,000 tested, a 1.3% positivity rate.
The ministry reported 7,334 current patients, of whom 402 are considered serious.
The death toll stood at 6,201, after 11 people died on Tuesday.
Some 5.24 million Israelis have received their first shot, of whom 87% are above the age of 50, and 4.78 million have received two shots.