The Health Ministry announced Saturday morning that 883 people in Israel have been diagnosed with the coronavius, an increase of 178 since Friday evening.
The ministry said 15 people were in serious condition, a day after the death of an 88-year-old man marked the country’s first fatality in the global pandemic.
The ministry also said 19 people were listed in moderate condition and that the rest had mild symptoms.
The Health Ministry says it has boosted testing for the virus from some 500-700 tests a day to around 2,200 per day and officials have said the number of tests would increase to 3,000 per day by Sunday and 5,000 per day by the following week.
Magen David Adom workers at a drive-through site to collect samples for coronavirus testing, Tel Aviv, March 20, 2020. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
The sharp rise in numbers of people diagnosed is at least partially attributable to increased testing throughout the country.
The head of the Israel Association of Biochemists, Microbiologists and Laboratory Workers on Friday accused the Health Ministry of not allowing medical laboratories around Israel to operate at full capacity during Shabbat, limiting the number of coronavirus tests they can perform. The Health Ministry denied the assertion.
The rise in numbers of people diagnosed came a day after Israel’s first fatality from the virus, who was named on Saturday as Arye Even. READ MORE
