Israel's confirmed coronavirus cases surpass 10,000

Israel's Health Ministry on Friday said the total of coronavirus cases in the country had surpassed 10,000 cases, while deaths resulting from the virus reached 92. 

Israeli authorities moved quickly in mid-March to close borders, ground flights and shut down all non-essential businesses. 

But in the early days and weeks of the pandemic many in Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish community ignored guidelines on social distancing, which health experts say is key to containing the outbreak.

Palestinians make up a significant proportion of Israel's healthcare workers, which puts them at risk of coronavirus infection upon exposure.

Guidelines to limit transmissions were initially only issued in Hebrew. Information about coronavirus was later translated into Arabic by the health ministry.

The novel coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, who recover within a few weeks. But it can cause severe illness or death, particularly in older patients or those with underlying health problems.

Confirmed cases among Palestinians in Israel – who constitute one fifth of its population – and the occupied West Bank are proportionally low. 

There are more than 134,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Middle East, including over 5,300 fatalities. Some 4,100 of those deaths are in Iran, which has the largest outbreak in the region. Authorities there have recorded over 66,000 total cases.

Read also: Are Palestinians on the cusp of a coronavirus outbreak?

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected