The IDF on Wednesday announced that the Home Front Command, the Magen David Adom ambulance service, and the country's public health organizations had begun mass testing for teachers, after the so-called coronavirus cabinet on Monday night approved the reopening of schools for children in grades 1-4 early next week, as well the easing of additional restrictions on businesses.
The IDF said in a statement that the testing of teachers, assistants and other employees would be completed by Saturday.
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Under the plan, children in third and fourth grades will be divided into pods and resume studies five days a week, while those in first and second grades will be split into two groups that will alternate days and go to school only three times a week. Children in fifth grade and above will continue remote learning.
Preschools were reopened some two weeks ago. However, over 100 kindergartens have been shut down due to coronavirus outbreaks, including more than 50 that have been closed just since Sunday, Oct. 25, the Education Ministry said on Tuesday.
Although relatively minor compared to the 21,000 preschools, kindergartens and daycares across the country, the rapidly increasing shutdowns offer a possible glimpse as Israel gears up to open elementary schools on November 1 amid declining infection rates.
At present, 1,716 students are infected with the virus, a drop of 475 since Sunday, the ministry said, although the number of kindergartens that have been shuttered due to infections among staff or children doubled during the same period from 56 to 112.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported on Wednesday morning that a total of 844 new cases were diagnosed nationwide on Tuesday.
Concerningly, the number of newly diagnosed infections outpaced new recoveries for the first time in a month, with 814 patients recovering Tuesday.
The percentage of tests which came back positive Tuesday was 2.2%, the same percentage as the day before, but down from the 2.9% of tests conducted Sunday and the 3.9% of tests conducted Saturday, and down markedly from the peak of over 15%.
The decrease in positivity is likely due in part to the Health Ministry's relaxing of criteria for who may request a coronavirus test.
Additionally, 24 new coronavirus-related fatalities were recorded on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 2,483 since the outbreak of the pandemic months ago.
Since the pandemic began, 312,024 cases of the virus have been diagnosed, of which 296,770 ended in recovery.
Of the 12,768 cases currently listed as active, 11,308 are being treated at home, 648 are being treated at coronavirus hotels, and 812 are being treated at hospitals.
Out of the 812 hospitalized patients, 453 were listed in serious condition, with 106 in moderate condition and 196 on ventilators.
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