Israel's coronavirus contagion rate rose for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, standing at 0.9, meaning each confirmed carrier infects 0.9 other people, a report by Military Intelligence issued Wednesday revealed. However, the number of COVID patients in serious condition continued to drop and as of Wednesday afternoon was 795.
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COVID tests conducted in the past 24-hour period identified 4,395 new cases, a positive rate of 6.1%.
On Tuesday, 17 more patients succumbed to COVID-19, pushing the country's total death toll since the pandemic hit Israel to 5,619.
According to the report, there is a "clear decline" in the numbers of new confirmed cases and serious cases among adults age 60 and over, thanks to the vaccination campaign. However, there is a clear rise in the number of patients in serious condition in younger age groups, who have recently comprised about half of all serious cases," the report noted.
The report stated that the vast majority – 80% − of new confirmed cases were in people under age 40, and some 17% were people ages 50-59.
Also on Wednesday, the Health Ministry launched a new campaign urging the public to get vaccinated against COVID, featuring the heads of the COVID units at the Hadassah and Soroka Medical Centers in Jerusalem and Beersheba, respectively.
"The people who arrive here are people who weren't vaccinated," one of the doctors says.
Serious cases among IDF soldiers are on the rise, according to a letter authored by IDF Chief Medical Officer Brig. Gen. Alon Glazberg obtained by Israel Hayom.
The document, sent out on Feb. 17, provides example of soldiers in serious condition and underscores the importance of vaccinating IDF personnel.
"Most of the people serving in the IDF are young and healthy, and fortunately, in the previous waves [of COVID] only a few developed serious illness," Glazberg and two other medical officers who signed the letter wrote.
"However, we must inform you that we are seeing a change in this trend. In recent weeks we have been dealing with a number of COVID patients in the IDF who require respiratory support and have even been hospitalized on ICUs," the letter states.
As of Wednesday, there were 827 confirmed COVID cases among IDF soldiers, and 4,295 were in quarantine. This still comprises a significant decrease from Feb. 7, when the number of confirmed cases among soldiers stood at 3,270. As of Tuesday morning, two-thirds (67%) of soldiers had been fully vaccinated against COVID, as defined by a week or more having gone by since their second vaccine dose. By the end of this week, 84% of IDF personnel are projected to have received both doses of the vaccine.
As of Wednesday, there were 41,924 active or symptomatic COVID cases nationwide, and 4.53 million citizens had received the first dose of the vaccine. Among Israelis age 60 and over, 90% have received at least the first dose of the vaccine.
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Meanwhile, the number of new cases in the Arab Israeli sector continues to rise, worrying leaders and healthcare officials alike.
There are a few reasons for the unprecedented outbreak, the first being the low vaccination rate in this sector.
The "wedding season," set to begin in a few weeks, is also cause for worry, especially in light of the numerous variants of the virus identified in Israel, some of which are more contagious and cause more serious illness than the original COVID virus.
In recent interviews, director of the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya Professor Masad Barhoum has not tried to hide his concern at the growing wave of new cases among Arab Israelis.
"We all remember what happened last time the sector held weddings," Barhoum said.
"This time, the British variant and other mutations are part of the equation, and if the public as a whole, Jews and Arabs, is not careful, we will once again be seeing hospitals completely full with no room for patients," Barhoum warned.
East Jerusalem, where the rate of vaccination is also low, is also seeing more and more COVID cases in recent days, with 294 more confirmed cases since the start of this week, compared to 77 last week.
Data indicates that most of the new cases in east Jerusalem are among residents age 40 or under. The neighborhoods with the highest numbers of new cases are A-Tur, Beit Hanina, Shuefat, Issawiya, and Beit Zafafa.
As far as vaccination, only 25.2% of east Jerusalem residents have been vaccinated against COVID, even in comparison to Arab Israeli communities.
A Health Ministry official in east Jerusalem told Israel Hayom that he believed that the recent rise in cases there was attributable to Friday prayers on the Temple Mount.
"Every time, there are thousands of people there. When there was a lockdown, there were no weddings or holiday celebrations, and people weren't traveling abroad. There's no reason other than the Temple Mount prayers, with the tens of thousands who have been there in the past few weeks, the official said."
