Ministry of Education: 14,293 students and 2,465 teachers defined as active Corona patients

On the eve of the decision to tighten the closure and further shutdown of the education system for the third time in the last ten months, the Ministry of Education published the morbidity data in schools and kindergartens. According to the ministry, 56% of primary schools and 57% of high schools and middle schools now have active Corona patients.
The education system currently has 14,293 students and 2,465 teachers defined as active patients, not including students and teachers who have fallen ill and recovered. This is a 25% increase in the number of patients active in the system within a week. In addition, about 80,000 students and teachers are in isolation.
However, morbidity in the education system focuses mainly on ultra-Orthodox localities. 50% of the sick students are ultra-Orthodox - a much higher rate than their representation in the student population, which amounts to 20%.
In addition, the largest proportion of sick students is in Jerusalem - about a quarter of sick students attend schools and kindergartens in the capital. In other cities the morbidity is significantly lower.
In Tel Aviv, on the other hand, only 2.1% of sick students study, and in Haifa 2.5%. In Ashdod, 3% of the students defined as active patients study. In the other large cities, the rate of patients is lower: in Rishon Lezion, only 0.8% of the sick students study, and so in Holon (0.8% of the students), in Ramat Gan, 0.9% of all defined students study corona patients.
Classes in recent days have been disrupted in some schools due to a shortage of teachers due to isolation. Some parents decided to stop sending their children to school even before the government decided.
In the corona cabinet discussions that have taken place in recent hours, there is a majority among the ministers for the closure of schools and kindergartens throughout the country, with the exception of special education and boarding schools. It is still unclear whether the day care centers for preschoolers will also close.