34 Coronavirus Fatalities in Israel; Confirmed Cases Rise to 6,808

Israel recorded its thirty-fourth fatality in the coronavirus pandemic, the eighth to pass away on Thursday.

The victim was a 98-year-old woman who passed away at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Yerushalayim.

As of Thursday evening, the country has 6,808 confirmed coronavirus cases, up from 6,211 earlier in the day, according to the Health Ministry.

Another 107 people are in serious condition, 83 of whom are on ventilators. So far, 334 people have recovered from the virus.

Meanwhile, Israelis are running out of the reagents needed for coronavirus tests, Channel 12 reports. The network quotes lab managers warning that in two days they will have to stop testing unless supplies are replenished.

The Cabinet voted earlier in the day by teleconference to approve emergency regulations enabling assistance grants to the self-employed. The disbursements will be made via the Israel Tax Authority as part of the government steps directed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in order to assist small and intermediate businesses, according to a statement from his office.

As of Thursday, the rate of unemployment reached 25%. The number of unemployed exceeds one million, 850,000 of them added since the onset of the coronavirus crisis.

Prime Minister Netanyahu‏‏ also announced his directive that the disabled population be added to those receiving the special NIS 500 stipends announced Wednesday night.