CDC/ Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Israel’s health ministry recorded 501 new coronavirus cases on Monday, representing a 50 percent increase from the previous day.
The figure is the highest since 30 March, when 571 tested positive for the virus.
Out of the new infections, 42 percent had been vaccinated.
This comes amid concern over the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant, which is now responsible for more than 90 percent of Israel’s cases.
The percentage of tests that turned out positive also rose from 0.7 percent on Sunday to 0.97 percent on Monday.
Of the new infections, 31 recently returned from abroad and the rest were infected via community transmission. The R number – the average number of secondary infections from a single person – now stands at 1.43 in Israel.
Of 74 patients hospitalised with coronavirus, 43 percent were not fully vaccinated. As of Tuesday, 17 were in critical condition, and 16 were supported by ventilators.
Some 15,000 Israelis were vaccinated on Monday, including 11,000 12-15 year olds.
About one fifth of 12-15 year olds are now vaccinated against the virus.
Israel’s cabinet has been considering the reimposition of some coronavirus restrictions in response to the surge in cases, including the quarantine for parents of isolating children.
.png){kind=link}