Coronavirus continues to target Israel’s schools
Amid expanded testing, 301 pupils and teaching staff were confirmed on Friday morning with coronavirus, 87 schools and kindergartens up and down the country were temporarily shuttered and 13,696 of both groups sent into quarantine. Local school heads and parents were taking matters into their own hands. They have taken to splitting classes or keeping the children at home for remote lessons.
Overall national figures on Friday showed 78 newly infected cases raising the total to 17,495, as well as 2,191 active cases with the addition of 45 since Thursday, but only 23 serious cases and an unchanged death toll of 291.
Prof. Hezi Levi, who is to be appointed Health Ministry Director General in place of Moshe Bar Simon Tov, faces the threat of a “second wave” – due mainly to the spreading virus contagion in schools. He comes from the post of director of the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.