Total Israeli coronavirus figure rises to 433 at accelerating rate

Wednesday evening, 433 Israelis tested positive for coronavirus, a jump double that of the previous 24 hours. This is partly due to substantially ramped-up tests – 2,150 on Wednesday compared with up to 700 hitherto. However, health authorities say that the heightened rate of infection is also a factor. PM Binyamin Netanyahu chaired another crisis meeting, attended this time by the defense and domestic security ministers, to discuss converting the new Health Ministry restrictions into mandatory edicts with penalties. This has not yet been decided. More than 234,000 people, fired or placed on unpaid leave, are registered with employment services as various segments of the economy shut down for the partial lockdown.