Israel

Over 10,000 New COVID Cases Over the Weekend; Serious Cases Jump to 717

Saturday, September 18, 2021 8:24 pm | < 1 Minute Read

By Aryeh Stern

A staff member pulls patient medication in the coronavirus ward at the Shaare Tzedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim, last month. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Health Ministry figures released Motzoei Shabbos report that over 10,000 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed this weekend — 4,863 on Friday and another 5,344 on Shabbos.

The number of serious cases rose to 717, after falling below 700 at the start of the month. Of those in serious condition, 195 are on ventilators.

Israel’s death toll stands at 7,507.

Ministry figures also show the R-rate — the number of new cases stemming from each coronavirus infection — falling below 1 again. Any figure above 1 signals the spread of the virus is accelerating, while any reading below 1 indicates morbidity is receding.

According to the ministry, 6,061,244 Israelis have received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose, 5,574,359 have received two doses and 3,031,423 have received a booster shot.

Meanwhile, over 68% of seriously ill patients in Israel have not been vaccinated at all for COVID-19 and 8.4% received three doses, the Health Ministry said Friday.

The rest had been given one or two shots.

Among the over 700 patients in serious condition, 228 were not vaccinated, 100 received two doses but not the booster shot, and only 47 had all three jabs.