The COVID picture in Israel continued to improve on Friday, with 1,225 new cases identified in the last 24 hours, 1.9% of the total 63,420 tests processed in that time period.
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The reproduction rate was also down, standing at 0.66 – meaning that a single confirmed carrier infects 0.66 other people – compared to 0.68 on Thursday.
As of Friday, there were 863 patients hospitalized for COVID. Among these, 558 were listed in serious condition, including 244 in critical condition and 206 on ventilators.
The number of Israelis to have received the first dose of the COVID vaccine stood at 5.1 million, or 55.39% of the population. A total of 4,480,810 Israelis (48.18% of the population) have received both doses.
Since the COVID pandemic hit Israel in early 2020, a total of 826,217 Israelis have contracted the virus. The death toll as of Friday was 6,071, after six more patients succumbed to the disease on Thursday and one early Friday.
The encouraging data comes after the Corona cabinet on Thursday approved bigger crowds for sporting and cultural events. Games, cultural events, and conferences can be held with audiences of up to 3,000 people in closed venues and up to 5,000 in the open air.
However, event venues, dining halls, and restaurants are still limited to 500 people in the open air or 300 in enclosed spaces.
Tourist attractions that comply with Health Ministry regulations will be allowed to host up to 2,500 people at one time.
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