New Coronavirus Cases in Israel Drop Dramatically

Israeli authorities on Tuesday morning announced 123 news cases of coronavirus in the previous 24-hour period, after only 68 new diagnoses were confirmed between Sunday and Monday. According to the Health Ministry, 117 people remain hospitalized in serious condition, with 94 being sustained by ventilators – figures that are likewise on the decline. Some 7,400 people have recovered after contracting the virus, whereas 208 have died. The dramatic drop in the rate of infection has allowed the government to slowly re-open the economy this week, with many small businesses having resumed operations. Elementary schools are reportedly set to re-open under strict conditions as early as next Sunday, and there is increasing talk of lifting most regulations in a bid to return to a state of semi-normalcy. Officials have warned, however, that restrictive measures could be reinstated if the number of new daily cases surpasses 300, if more than 300 people are concurrently deemed seriously ill, or if there is a doubling of the nationwide number of infections over a period of 10 days or less. Presently, cases are doubling around every 20 days.