Posted on 02/09/22
| News Source: i24
Reproduction rate drops to 0.79 in sign that fifth wave of Covid-19 is waning
In a sign that the omicron outbreak in Israel is subsiding, the reproduction rate of the virus reached its lowest number since late October, according to Wednesday's Health Ministry update.
The R value, which represents the average infection rate from 10 days ago, dropped to 0.79 on January 29.
A number above one indicates that the virus is spreading, while a number below one means that the outbreak is on the decline.
Other key metrics indicate that the fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is waning — the weekly total of new coronavirus cases detected is down 27.3 percent compared to the previous seven days at 313,508; the number of weekly seriously ill patients declined by 7.9 percent, with 1,092; and the number of weekly deaths decreased 17.6 percent, with 291.
The number of daily Covid cases on Wednesday stood at 37,559.
Serious cases were at 1,164, with 350 people in critical condition and 273 requiring artificial ventilation. According to Health Ministry figures, more than half of the serious patients are unvaccinated or received their last shot over six months ago.
Nearly 4.5 million people in Israel have received three vaccine jabs, while over 679,000 have received the fourth dose.