The number of serious corona cases in Israel continued to drop on Wednesday, falling from 1,161 on Tuesday to 1,123, a Health Ministry update showed on Thursday morning.
In total, 36,835 new corona cases were detected in Israel on Wednesday, with a positive return rate of 25.13% for the 146,599 PCR and antigen tests taken.
Of the 1,123 serious cases, 344 are considered to be critical, with 274 intubated patients and an additional 21 connected to ECMO machines.
Exactly 9,370 people have died from corona in Israel since the start of the pandemic, with 293 of those deaths occurring in the last seven days alone.
The IDF reported on Thursday that 4,617 service members tested positive for the virus and are in mild condition. As of Wednesday, 3,640 service members were in home isolation.
Among those in serious condition on Thursday morning, 485 of the serious corona patients were unvaccinated, 116 were partially vaccinated, and 502 were vaccinated. The vaccination status of the remaining 20 was unknown.
The number of hospitalized patients is also beginning to drop, down from 2,809 on Wednesday to 2,514 on Thursday morning. However, hospitals are still experiencing severe overcrowding, with the most crowded hospital being Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, which is currently operating at 110% capacity. Across Israel, 4,264 hospital workers are in quarantine, with 626 doctors included in that number.
The Samson Assuta Hospital in Ashdod reported on Thursday afternoon that for the first time in several weeks there were fewer than 50 corona patients hospitalized across their various departments. Of the 43 patients currently hospitalized there, one is in critical condition, 18 are in serious condition and the remaining 24 are in mild condition.
“This is encouraging data, which indicates that even within the hospital system we are past the peak of the [Omicron] wave,” said hospital general manager Dr. Erez Berenbaum. “After several weeks during which optimism was the domain of the general public, it is gratifying to see it blooming even with hospitals and wards. However, I am pessimistic about the possibility that this is the last wave, and in my opinion, it is only a matter of time until we have to deal with another variant of the coronavirus. It is the nature of epidemics and evolution.
“However, I have no doubt that the technological leap of recent years, along with the experience we have gained, will allow us to maintain a routine of life alongside COVID-19.”