By TOI STAFF
The number of Israelis diagnosed with coronavirus jumped to 677 Thursday evening, the Health Ministry said, the sharp rise at least partially attributable to increased testing throughout the country.
Six of the patients are in serious condition, 13 are in moderate condition, and the rest are showing mild symptoms; 14 people have recovered from the disease caused by the coronavirus.
In recent days the Health Ministry has boosted testing for the virus from some 500-700 tests a day to around 2,200 per day and Netanyahu said the number of tests would increase to 3,000 per day by Sunday and 5,000 per day by the following week.
Overnight, the Mossad spy agency reportedly brought some 100,000 coronavirus test kits into the country, amid claims of insufficient medical equipment in hospitals and clinics. But Itamar Grotto, the deputy director-general of the Health Ministry, said the kits did not contain the equipment medical officials were most in need of — swabs.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday night that Health Ministry guidelines introduced on Tuesday — notably including the requirement for Israelis to generally stay at home — will be tightened and enforced under emergency regulations to be in effect for the next seven days.
“The government will approve tonight emergency regulations to limit movement. You are ordered to stay at home… This isn’t a request, this isn’t a recommendation, but a binding requirement that will be enforced. The purpose of these instructions is to ensure as few people will be infected and will infect [others],” Netanyahu said.
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