815 people have been diagnosed with Corona in the past day - The infection rate decreased to 1.5%

The Ministry of Health updated this morning (Wednesday) that 815 people have been diagnosed with Corona in the past day. This increased the number of verified infections in Israel to 325,845. Yesterday, results were obtained for 55,202 tests, with the percentage of positive for the virus being 1.5%. The test data and their results are not final and may change in subsequent updates from the Ministry of Health.
The number of active patients is 8,293. The hospitals hospitalize 502 patients, of whom 131 are respirators and 307 are seriously ill. To date, 2,735 people have died from the corona virus in Israel. Yesterday, 861 people were diagnosed in Corona. The number of tests was 47,710, of which 1.8% were positive for the virus.
Meanwhile, at the entrances to Eilat, the use of high-speed corona tests in the "Sofia" device is expected to begin, but the Ministry of Health warns that its use may be ineffective and lead to incorrect results. The tests, the results of which are obtained within 15 minutes, are intended for residents of the city and the area who are in constant motion to and from it. Despite this, a senior medical official warned that relying on such tests could harm the city and lead to high morbidity.
"It's like tossing a coin," the source said. "I would not rely on it if the result indicates that a certain test was negative for Corona. It will quickly turn Eilat Miroka red under the radar."
Although the use of tests at city entrances began today, about two weeks ago it came to Walla! NEWS A presentation presented to the Ministry of Health with the many shortcomings inherent in Sofia's tests. Among other things, it was found that in patients who do not develop the symptoms of the disease, such as shortness of breath and cough, the sensitivity of the test drops to 59%. Despite this, the procurement of the tests continued and they were even transferred to public use.
A week later, the head of the public health services, Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price, sent a letter to the hospitals and health funds demanding that they not treat patients who tested positive as verified, but perform another PSR test, which is now publicly known. The patients and some of the funds stopped using tests on the Sofia device, due to the creation of duplication in the work of the medical staff.
Until the letter was sent to the hospitals, the Ministry of Health determined that symptomatic patients who came out positive on the verified blue speed tests could be treated, but the negative ones required further testing. Upon sending a letter from Elrai-Price, the hospitals and the funds were required to perform a further examination for the positive ones as well. The new directive actually made the need for Sofia tests unnecessary, because it was supposed to help decide whether to hospitalize the patient in isolation or in the corona ward or in a regular ward.
Compared to hospitals, in the health funds the situation is slightly different. Because there is no need for hospitalization, officials at two of the four funds testified that the Sofia test makes it possible to remove and isolate patients who came to the fund and left positive, and therefore they still use it.
The use of tests in the southern city is expected to begin in light of its declaration along the Dead Sea as "green tourist islands", in a way that allows the hotels to continue operating despite the Corona regulations. The tests themselves are not intended for vacationers and tourists, but for residents, to avoid the need to perform a weekly PCR test. All this, despite the instructions of Dr. Elrai Price.
Sofia Israel stated regarding the publication on the effectiveness of the tests that this is an "important technological development that has already been approved by the FDA and the Ministry of Health. All over the world Sofia works great, and only in Israel are there people who find it difficult to accept new technologies, pile difficulties and make hospitals and funds avoid using breakthroughs. "This is a mobile device that works in the service of man and saves lives every day all over the world - if it is not disturbed by faulty computer software, an excess of conflicting instructions and poor operation."