Israel’s Virus Spiraling Out Of Control, Gov’t Admits

Israel on Tuesday reached a three-month high in new coronavirus infections, with close to 9,000 new cases reported in the last 24 hours and 8% of all tests returning positive results. The alarming surge has health officials demanding stricter shutdown protocols, as the total nationwide closure imposed two weeks ago in Israel for the third time since the pandemic began seems not to have achieved the desired results. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein explained a “hermetic” lockdown is needed, which will include all schools and kindergartens and the entire workforce. An emergency cabinet meeting was scheduled for Tuesday evening, as ministers will decide on further actions. While Israel is closing in on 1.5 million citizens vaccinated from the virus, experts have warned that the recent uptick in infections, hospitalizations and serious cases will lead to thousands of additional deaths in the coming weeks if drastic steps are not taken. A total of 3,448 Israelis have died from the virus since the outbreak began, with an average of 25 per day over the past week.