The ongoing nationwide lockdown appears to be showing early signs of success, despite many Israelis violating its restrictions.
Newly released information on Friday suggests the harsh measures may have already had an effect. Some 46,188 tests carried out on Thursday, yielding a positivity rate of 8% (amounting to about 3,700 positive diagnoses). This is the lowest daily figure since early September, suggesting that the spread of the novel coronavirus virus may be slowing down.
The trend was noticeable throughout this week. Of the 45,317 tests screened on Wednesday, just 9.1% were positive. Ministry figures also showed that there had been no new deaths overnight Tuesday, and the number of patients in serious condition had dropped below 850 for the first time since Oct. 4.
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The number of fatalities in Israel linked to the virus stood at 1,864 as of Friday morning. More than 800 carriers are hospitalized in serious condition, including 241 who are on a ventilator. Overall some 286,000 Israelis have been infected with the virus, although only about 60,000 are still considered active cases.
Health officials said the numbers were cause for "cautious optimism" but maintain that the lockdown will remain in place until at least mid-October, warning the trend could easily reverse.
Also on Thursday, the ministry released the results of a national serological survey conducted between July and September 2020 with the aim of assessing the presence of coronavirus antibodies in the Israeli population.
The survey sampled 55,000 Israelis of various sexes, ages and religions nationwide, and showed that about 5.5% of the population have antibodies.
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