N.Y Time: May 4, 2024 9:26 am

Serious cases in Israel dropped below 600 for the first time in months, according to the Health Ministry’s Wednesday report.

Some 578 active patients are in severe condition, of whom 269 are in critical condition and 202 are intubated. The death toll stands at 6,051.

Meanwhile, some 1,472 people were diagnosed with coronavirus in Israel since Tuesday night, bringing the total number of active patients to just under 26,000. A total of 72,600 tests were taken and only 2.1% were positive, the lowest rate in Israel since December.

Wednesday morning, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein announced that over four million Israeli citizens are eligible to receive the coronavirus green passport that grants entry to restaurants, gyms and theaters, and exempts holders from quarantine.

More than 5.4 million Israelis have received at least their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, while another million are eligible to be vaccinated, Edelstein said.

“We see how effective the vaccine is, and how dangerous coronavirus can be,” he tweeted. “We see already some places open only to green passport holders – isn’t it a shame that you are left behind?”

While the numbers have been dropping, Israel’s Military Intelligence warned the public against losing vigilance and urged people to continue abiding by restrictions of social distancing and wearing masks. More than half of the people reported to be infected on Tuesday were reportedly under the age of 19 and many of them were under the age of 16, a demographic that is not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.

On Tuesday, it was reported that Israel has spent over NIS 2.6 billion on coronavirus vaccines, according to the Knesset Finance Committee, which that same day approved an additional budget of about NIS 2 billion for the Health Ministry and the coronavirus vaccination campaign.