Israel Confirms Record-High 1,681 New Virus Cases

World

July 14th, 11:33am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Border Police officers at a roadblock as ultra-Orthodox Jews gather for a protest against a lockdown in their neighborhood due to a coronavirus outbreak, in Jerusalem, July 13, 2020 (AP)

The Israeli Health Ministry said the country has confirmed 1,681 new coronavirus cases, a record high. Israel was swift in taking action early in the pandemic by closing its borders and imposing other restrictions to contain the virus’s spread. But since reopening the economy and schools in May following a more than monthlong lockdown, the number of new cases has steadily increased. Health Ministry Director General Hezi Levi said Tuesday that the government is making every effort to try to avoid another countrywide lockdown. “A general lockdown is without a doubt one of the tools that we try our utmost to avoid reaching for,” Hezi told Israel Radio, but said that it remained an option authorities are considering. Israel has recorded a total of 41,235 cases of the coronavirus. The country currently has over 21,000 active cases and at least 368 Israelis have died from COVID-19, according to Health Ministry figures.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2389356/israel-confirms-record-high-1681-new-virus-cases