Covid Delta toll rises – 2,112 new cases, 4 deaths, 2.3pc positive tests

Coronavirus czar Prof. Nahman Ash is worried by rising cases of the delta variant of coronavirus. For the first time since April, more than 2,000 new cases were reported, 138 in serious condition of whom 25 were on ventilators. Four deaths were counted in 48 hours, one of them was an unvaccinated pregnant woman who died in hospital. The US has advised unvaccinated travelers to avoid Israel.

Ash spoke of special concern of a new spiral in Israeli Arab communities because Turkey, a highly infected country, is a popular travel destination and because the impact of Eid celebrations is still to come.
The professor favors opening the school year as usual on Sept. 1 in all locations without splitting classes into groups. The health ministry advises triple testing of pupils and teachers and the location of vaccination stations inside schools for children over 12 to short cut the process, since this is the most proven measure for preventing serious covid symptoms. However, Education Minister Yifat Shasha, on typical combative form, has raised strong objections to the two provisos and is fighting it out with the education minister, Nitzan Horowitz.