The Ministry of Health said on Saturday that four cases of the highly contagious South African coronavirus strain had been identified in Israel, the first time the mutated variant had been discovered in the country.
The ministry said four cases were found after an advanced testing program. These include a traveler who recently returned from South Africa and relatives of another person who traveled from there.
All travelers returning from the United Kingdom and South Africa, where new virus strains have spread, must enter state-run hotels for their quarantine period and have their test samples sent for advanced investigations.
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The Ministry of Health emphasized that although the variant was more contagious, there was no evidence that it causes serious diseases.
A technician collects samples of coronavirus nasal swabs in a laboratory at Ben-Gurion International Airport on December 14, 2020. (Yossi Aloni / Flash90)
However, the British and South African variants are of worldwide concern.
The strains have a common mutation called N501Y, a slight change in one place of the vein protein that covers the virus. The change is probably why they can spread so easily. The variant first discovered in South Africa has an additional mutation called E484K.
Viruses are constantly undergoing minor changes as they spread from person to person. Scientists have used these minor modifications to detect how the coronavirus has moved around the world since it was detected in China about a year ago.
In an initial study released by Pfizer using blood samples from 20 people who received their vaccine, it was found to remain effective against the British strain, with indications that it may also work against South African stress, but more tests is necessary.
Police during a temporary roadblock in the city of Netanya on January 8, 2021 during a third nationwide full lock-up, in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (Yossi Aloni / Flash90)
A military task force on Sunday confirmed the spread of the new British tribe in Israel, calling for stricter restrictions and the complete cessation of the education system. Reportedly, Tsar Nachon Ash of the Coronavirus told ministers that 30 people with the strain had managed to infect 189.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday declared a “major incident” as the rapid spread of the virus variant drove hospitals to breaking point, with the number of coronavirus patients admitted to hospital by 27% in the week to 6 January.
According to the Office for National Statistics, one in 30 people in the British capital was infected with the virus in the week of 2 January.
Medical personnel prepare to administer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, January 8, 2021 (AP Photo / Ariel Schalit)
According to the figures released on Friday afternoon, Israel’s infection rates have remained high but steady, after the country intensified its exclusion in an attempt to curb a raging COVID-19 outbreak that threatens its successful vaccination campaign.
About 115,000 people received their first dose of COVID-19 recording on Thursday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said. 1.7 million out of a population of 9.29 million, by far the highest vaccination rate in the world. The Ministry of Health said that more than 70 percent of Israelis older than 60 had now received the first shot.
However, according to the Ministry of Health, the daily cases of coronavirus nationwide were around 8,000 for the fourth day in the area.
The almost empty roads in Tel Aviv during Israel’s third nationwide exclusion. 09 January 2021 (Miriam Alster / Flash90)
The Ministry of Health said 7,611 cases were confirmed on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 477,357 since the pandemic began.
There were 65,008 active cases. Of those, 920 were in critical condition, including 283 who were in critical condition, with 224 on ventilators. Another 263 were in moderate condition, and the rest had mild or no symptoms.
The death toll rose to 3,566.
Agencies contributed to this report.