The highly infectious coronavirus mutation that was first discovered in Britain in September last year and has since spread worldwide is between 30% and 100% more deadly than previous strains, a scientific study published on Wednesday revealed.  

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Researchers at Exeter University compared death rates among people in Britain infected with the variant, known as B.1.1.7, against those infected with other strains and published their findings in the British Medical Journal. 

Dr. Robert Challen, who co-led the research, warned that the threat should be taken seriously due to the mutated strain's high mortality rate and its ability to spread rapidly.

Meanwhile, a UK parliament committee is assailing Britain's massive $32 billion test-and-trace program that had been launched in 2020 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Officials said it had made no clear impact on slowing the country's coronavirus outbreak. Lawmakers on the Public Accounts Committee claimed the system did not achieve its fundamental goal of avoiding a cycle of national lockdowns.

Head of the tracking program Dido Harding defended the project, saying it was essential and was more successful than any other such program in other European countries.

Since its launch, the test and trace system informed 9.1 million people of the need to self-isolate, according to Harding, and played a significant role in lifting Britain's national lockdown.

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Israel's rate of positive COVID tests stands at 6.7%, after 4,922 of the 75,574 people who tested for the coronavirus on Thursday, were found to be carrying the virus. 

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As of Friday morning, there were 65,360 active cases, 985 of which were serious. Of those in serious condition, 304 were on ventilators. Fifteen people died of the virus on Thursday, bringing the country's COVID death toll to 5,286.

With the number of serious cases on the decline, Haifa's Rambam Medical Center announced it would be closing its IDF-run coronavirus ward. Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center was among a number of other hospitals to announce it was preparing to do the same.

The military intelligence task force on the coronavirus warned of a sharp increase in morbidity in the coming weeks as a result of the spread of the UK variant of the disease and the easing of lockdown restrictions.

In an encouraging development, however, the task force noted the rate of reproduction was at 0.88, the lowest since Nov. 4.

Infections among those aged 60 and under were on the decline, according to the report, although the task force expressed concern over the 40% increase in infections among younger Israelis. The change has not led to a significant decrease in morbidity, according to the report.

Noting Israel's vaccination campaign has stalled among those aged 60 and over, with around 10% of the sector having neither recovered from the virus nor received the first dose of the vaccine, the report called on Israelis to get the jab.

Over 3,765 Israelis have received the first dose and over 2,396,540 have received the second dose of the vaccine as of Thursday.

According to the Maccabi Healthcare Services HMO, less than 0.1% of those who received the second dose of the vaccine have been infected with the virus. The vaccine has proven to be 93% effective at preventing infection thus far.  

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According to Health Ministry data released Friday, of the 78,266 people who tested for the virus, Thursday, 7,083 people were found to be carrying the coronavirus, for an infection rate of 9.3%.

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As of Friday morning there were 73,543 active cases in Israel, with 1,199 patients listed in serious condition. Of those in serious condition, 328 were on ventilators. Since the outset of the pandemic, 4,696 Israelis have died of COVID-19.

A report by the IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate finds it is too early to say whether Israel is experiencing a downturn in morbidity. The reproduction rate has remained below 1, indicating what should be a decrease in morbidity, yet the trend has stopped in recent days.

The rate of infection continues to be high, and hospitals remain overwhelmed. The report further notes that over a quarter of those who died from COVID-19 passed away in January 2021, with 669 people dying of the virus between Jan. 17-28 alone.

According to the directorate, the widespread distribution of the UK variant was likely responsible for morbidity rates remaining stable. Adherence to coronavirus guidelines of social distancing and mask wearing remain a priority, and special attention should be given to children, the report's authors said.

Until the degree of risk posed by the various variants is known, drastic preventative measures must be taken to prevent their spread, including ramping up the vaccination campaign and ensuring a cautious exit from the lockdown. The introduction of additional variants must also be prevented by keeping Ben-Gurion Airport closed, according to the report.

With 5.4 million doses administered, the report noted Israel continues to lead the world in the number of vaccines administered per capita. Yet the authors found fault with the campaign to inoculate individuals aged between 60 and 69, which has come to a standstill as 20% of the age group has not been vaccinated.

Arguing for an extension of Israel's third lockdown, Friday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said, "The vaccine data is excellent, as we can see. But something dangerous could happen here Sunday at midnight. Due to political games, the lockdown will end, the restrictions will be lifted in their entirety and anarchy will reign. This will make the State of Israel an out-of-control coronavirus incubator."

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