Israel’s Coronavirus Death Toll Passes 1,500 as 49 Die in 24 Hours

Israel’s coronavirus death toll has reached 1,507 after 49 more patients have died in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported on Monday evening, Motzoei Yom Kippur.

The ministry said that 25,204 COVID-19 tests were conducted on Sunday, with 3,426 of them returning positive. The figures put the contagion rate at 14%.

The number of people in serious condition has increased to 772, of whom 208 are on ventilators. Health officials said that among the ventilated are a 9-year-old girl and an 18-year-old teenager.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said he held a series of talks ahead of Yom Kippur, which focused on how to manage the virus from the moment the lockdown is over until the day a vaccine is available.

Among the proposals are close management of serious patients in an effort to bring the tally down and goals for a gradual exit from the current lockdown.

On Wednesday, the Coronavirus Cabinet is set to convene to discuss the proposals and “the continuation of the lockdown outline, the criteria for moving to the next stages and additional measures aimed to reduce infection.”