In first in fourth corona wave, no deaths reported in 24-hour period

For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic’s fourth wave, no new coronavirus deaths were reported in Israel in the previous 24 hours, Health Ministry’s data showed on Thursday morning.

According to the daily COVID update, the death toll stood at 7,959, the same figure as of Wednesday morning.

Some 1,400 people have lost their lives since July. While the number has been lower than the deaths registered during the third wave of the pandemic in January and February, August and September were nonetheless among the deadliest months since the beginning of the pandemic.

As morbidity in the country began to slow in the past few weeks, the number of daily deaths has also been decreasing. Between mid-August and mid-September, more than 20 people succumbed to the virus on most days, with a peak of 36 individuals dying from it on September 7. In the past week, the highest death toll has been 14.

The number of serious patients has been declining for three weeks, dropping to 403 on Thursday, 60 less than on the previous Thursday.

Some 1,732 new cases were identified on Wednesday. A week earlier there were 2,549.

Israel has 22,000 active virus carriers. At the peak of the wave there were over 80,000.

Health Ministry Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash said the country is on a good trajectory, but stressed that caution will be required before lifting restrictions.

“We are thinking about what can be lifted,” he told the Hebrew news site Ynet. “We would like to do so, but on the other hand, the beginning of this wave taught us what needs to be left in place so that there is no further outbreak.

“The masks in indoor spaces will accompany us throughout the winter. It is a simple and important tool for preventing infection even with the flu,” he added. “The Green Pass will also continue to be with us in the near future.”