Israel saw a sharp drop in coronavirus-related deaths in the second half of February, health officials said Monday.
The Ministry of Health said 2,393 people have died from the coronavirus since the beginning of 2021, of which 1,459 succumbed to the disease in January and a slight decrease, a staggering 934 in February. These figures represent the average of 40 deaths per day.
In the first half of January, there were an average of 53 deaths from COVID-19 per day, and the successful vaccination that began in December is attributed to the decrease in the number of fatalities.
In fact, the daily death rate dropped to 25 people with virus-related deaths per day in the second half of February.
Those numbers are still considered high compared to the last month of 2020, when 488 people died from the virus. An average of 16 deaths per day.
In November, 313 people died from COVID, indicating an average of 10 fatalities per day, while in October 2020, there were 957 deaths, a daily average of 32 deaths from complications from the virus.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, there is not only a decrease in the number of fatalities in February, but also in the number of serious cases of COVID-19 treated in hospitals.
The ministry said 742 people are currently in a serious condition – the lowest number since January 2, 2021, representing a 43% reduction. Vaccines are again credited for the decline in the number of serious illnesses caused by the coronavirus.
But as the over-60s are largely immune to vaccinations, the mean age of critically ill patients has fallen. As of Monday, 57.1% of critically ill patients with COVID-19 appear to be over 60 years old, while 40% are between 30 and 59 years old.
One in five patients, 20.2%, are between the ages of 50 and 59, 10.7% are in their 40s, 7.4% in their 30s.
There are now 17 adults in a severe condition in their twenties and 15 teens and children who are still hospitalized with symptoms.
The Department of Health also reported on Monday that the factor indicating the distribution in the community (R) has risen to 1, up from 0.79 just two weeks ago, raising concerns that the contamination rate is on the rise again.
In the Arab sector, the R, meanwhile, is even higher at 1.16, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convene a special meeting to discuss low turnout in Arab communities. The ultra-Orthodox community currently shows an R factor of 0.82.
Israel began lifting its lockdown restrictions earlier this month, with malls and malls reopening last week. Massive impromptu Purim parties also took place over the weekend, despite the nightly curfew set for the three days of the holiday. This change in public behavior is seen by medical officials as a catalyst for greater infection.
Among those infected with the virus at a faster rate are younger populations, some of whom show no symptoms.
Of all new infections on Sunday, 76.7% are younger than 39 years and only 5.2% are older than 60. A closer examination of the data shows that 43.4% of the new infections on Sunday in the age group 0-19 year.
Netanyahu posted on his Twitter feed on Monday that 97% of recent deaths occurred in patients who had not received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.
“I can’t stand the de-legitimization of vaccines from cynical politicians. I don’t tolerate fake news as I fight to save lives,” Netanyahu said in his post, calling on Israelis to get vaccinated.
There is a politician who has spoken out against vaccines.
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MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, a political opponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has been critical of his handling of the pandemic
Photo: Kobi Quankas
In an interview on Kan Radio earlier on Monday, Netanyahu was asked whether Israel had nearly 6,000 dead since the pandemic began. He responded with a disparaging remark directed at one of his now political adversaries, former Likud legislator Yifat Shasha-Biton, who headed a Knesset monitoring committee that has blocked some of Netanyahu’s policies and criticized his approach to the pandemic.
“Just ask Yifat Shasha-Biton,” Netanyahu said, mocking her name.
Yoaz Hendel, a former Netanyahu aid worker and now a member of Gideon Saar’s New Hope party along with Shasha-Biton, said in response that it is sad to hear the prime minister joke about so many Israeli deaths.