A boy is tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a drive-through site as Israel faces a surge in Omicron variant infections, in Jerusalem, January 10, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24 News – Israel reported the highest number of serious Covid cases since the start of the pandemic over the weekend, according to Health Ministry data on Saturday.

The previous record of 1,193 serious cases from January 2021 was shattered with a new record of 1,213 serious cases.

On Friday, 37,977 new Covid cases were recorded in Israel, making the total number of active cases in the country 370,798. Of the total cases, 270 are intubated.

There were 148,988 PCR and antigen tests taken, with a positivity rate of 25.49 percent.

The reproduction rate, or R number, remains 0.88. An R-value above one indicates that the virus is spreading higher than a ratio of one person to another person, leading to a multiplying effect.

Since the start of the pandemic, 9,135 people have died of Covid, whereas the previous day’s number stood at 9,080, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Israel voted on Friday to extend Covid regulations for educational facilities, including mandatory mask-wearing and making non-vaccinated employees present a negative Covid test every 48 hours.

The regulations will be in place until the beginning of March.