Report: Mortality Rate Didn’t Rise During Coronavirus Outbreak

While media outlets track the daily toll of coronavirus-related deaths—now approaching 1,000 since the outbreak in March—official data released on Thursday showed that there was no significant increase in the mortality rate in Israel in the first seven months of 2020 compared to previous years.

The report from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) said that from the beginning of 2020 until the end of July, there were 27,500 Israeli residents who died overall. In 2019, during the same period, 27,550 people died in those months.

The CBS noted that mortality from the coronavirus in Israel was found to be relatively low compared to many other countries. Out of about 19,000 deaths in Israel from March to July, about 570 people (about 3%) died directly from the coronavirus (according to Health Ministry data).

However, in other countries, such as England, the United States, Spain, Italy and France, significant “excess mortality” has been reported in the months since the onset of the pandemic.

There was no explanation given for the disparity.