Tel Aviv With More Active Coronavirus Patients Than ‘Green’ Bnei Brak

For the first time in months, the number of active coronavirus patients in Tel Aviv has now surpassed the number of people currently ill with the disease in former hot spot Bnei Brak. The city was one of the biggest hot spots in the country throughout the pandemic, and turned “green” on Tuesday.

The Health Ministry reported Thursday that on Wednesday they conducted 34,494 coronavirus tests, 688 of which came back positive, putting the contagion rate at 1.9%.

The number of active patients in the country now stands at 11,914, nearly six times lower than the same figure at the start of this month.

At least 1,732 of them live in Yerushalayim, 552 reside in Tel Aviv and 530 in Bnei Brak.

The number of patients hospitalized in serious condition now stands at 464, of whom 199 are ventilated. Israel’s death toll has increased to 2,494.

In the meantime, Israel’s Coronavirus Cabinet is set to convene later in the day to discuss the possibility of further easing the lockdown curbs. Finance Minister Yisrael Katz has demanded for trade to partially reopen as soon as next week, a move which health authorities strongly oppose.

On Sunday, Israel is set to reopen schools for grades one through four.