TEL AVIV – In some good news that coincided with Israel’s 72nd Independence Day, the number of people in Israel who have recovered from the coronavirus has for the first time outnumbered those who are sick.
According to Health Ministry figures published Wednesday, there has been a total of 15,782 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of whom 7,929 people have recovered. Of the 7,641 still sick, 120 have serious symptoms with 91 of them on ventilators.
A total of 219 people have died so far.
A 16-year-old boy is one of those in serious condition, and is suffering from organ failure and heart problems.
According to Israeli media, he only tested positive on the third try.
The country instated a nationwide 28-hour curfew over Independence Day.
The annual Israel Air Force flyover took place over hospitals in order to honor Israel’s front-line workers.
The Health Ministry said even though Israel can now conduct up to 15,000 coronavirus tests a day, there are fewer that 10,000 a day because less people with symptoms are showing up.
In order to make up the shortfall, the ministry announced that it would begin to test randomly in areas with high infection rates.