Aness Suheil Barghoti
March 24, 2020•Update: March 24, 2020
JERUSALEM
Israeli health officials reported a third death from to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday.
An Israeli male, 87, suffering from chronic disease died at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem.
Earlier Tuesday, officials reported a second death when a 67-year-old woman, who had "a serious preexisting medical condition," died at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.
Infections rose to 1,656 after 214 new cases were detected Tuesday, according to officials.
A statement said 31 patients are in critical condition, while 49 recovered from the virus.
Israel confirmed its first death from the disease on Friday.
It has taken several measures to stem the spread of the virus known as COVID-19, including closing cafes, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and entertainment venues.
Last week, Israel decided to track confirmed and suspected patients by monitoring mobile phones as part of its fight against the pandemic.
COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and has spread to at least 169 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global pandemic.
There have been more than 409,000 confirmed cases worldwide since last December and the death toll now tops 18,200 while an excess 106,500 patients have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
