Over 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Israel, Monday. According to Health Ministry data released Tuesday morning, 2,279 of the 72,423 people who tested for the virus were found to be positive, for an infection rate of 3.2%. Monday's infection rate was the highest recorded in Israel since Oct. 15, when Israel saw 2,115 new infections, in a sign the government was likely to impose a period of so-called "tightened restraint" that would see the government reimpose restrictions on movement aimed at reining in the spread of the virus.
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Israel currently has 18,651 active cases, 344 of which are serious. Of those in serious condition, 130 are on ventilators. So far, 3,004 people have died.
Deputy Health Ministry Director Itamar Grotto said the high number of infections was a sign Israel was moving toward a third lockdown in an interview with Army Radio, Tuesday.
"We hope this was a one-time anomaly. It will take two to three months until we see the impact of the vaccines. We mustn't become complacent. The first days of vaccination [Dec. 20] will be chaotic, but I believe that in time it will work out."
At a government meeting last week, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said the goal of the government's efforts to stop the spread of the virus was to get to a reproduction rate of 1 and to have fewer than 1,000 people diagnosed with COVID19 per day.
"When the reproduction rate reached 1.32 or alternatively when there are 2,500 new diagnosed [cases] a day we will enter the "tightened restraint" restrictions for a period of three weeks.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered quarantine on Monday after coming in close contact with a coronavirus carrier. He will remain in isolation until Friday.
Speaking to i24NEWS, Aaron Klein, strategic advisor to Netanyahu, said Israel would soon "be in a phenomenal position with regard to the fight against corona."
On regional matters, despite US President Donald Trump departing the White House come January 20, Klein said he believed that time was not an issue and that there would be additional peace deals announced with Arab states.
While the Trump administration brokered four historic normalization deals between Israel and Arab states, Klein said, "I think that what we're seeing now is an outpouring of willingness from Arab countries and Muslim countries from around the world to orient themselves toward Israel; to open diplomatic relations."
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