Despite Lockdown, Israel’s Coronavirus Cases Still Climbing

The latest COVID-19 information and statistics for the Middle East and North Africa

Israel is continuing to see a high rate of new coronavirus infections despite being two weeks into a national lockdown and a week into regulations that have been further tightened.

On Friday, the Health Ministry reported 7,639 additional cases, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 255,771.

There are currently 807 patients in critical condition and 196 on ventilators. As of Friday, 1,622 people have died from the pandemic.

The ministry also reported that it had received 64,458 test results over the past 24 hours. Recent positivity rates have been pegged at close to 15%.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said during a Wednesday meeting of the country’s so-called coronavirus cabinet that it could take six months to a year to fully exit from coronavirus closures.

A recent survey by the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research at the Israel Democracy Institute shows that only 27% of Israelis trust Netanyahu to lead the efforts against the pandemic. At the beginning of April, 57.5% of the population said they trusted the prime minister in this regard.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for the Middle East and North Africa as of 07:00 UTC on Friday.