Close to 1,000 Have Succumbed to Coronavirus in Israel in January

998 Israelis have succumbed to coronavirus-related illnesses since the beginning of January, the Health Ministry reported Sunday morning, marking January as the month with the most coronavirus deaths. October saw 961 fatalities.

Israel has reported 595,097 cases and 4,361 deaths since the pandemic reached Israel nearly a year ago.

Nevertheless, there is hope that the country might be headed towards normalcy. Health Ministry Director General Professor Chezy Levi said in an interview on Sunday morning that the third lockdown would not be extended after next Sunday and that hopefully, at this stage, they can begin to gradually exit the current lockdown.

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said, however, that the country was not out of the trouble zone just yet.

“The morbidity rate is decreasing very slowly. Most likely, it has to do with the mutations but also incompliance with the lockdown rules, Edelstein said, calling on Israelis to adhere to the lockdown guidelines.