JERUSALEM 

An elderly male died from the novel coronavirus, according to Israeli health officials late Friday.  

The Health Ministry said the patient, 88, was diagnosed last week with the virus known as COVID-19 at a hospital in West Jerusalem.

The death is the first from the virus in Israel and officials said the health of 14 of 705 confirmed cases are serious.

COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 164 countries and territories.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic. Out of more than 266,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 11,000, and more than 87,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who become infected suffer only mild symptoms and recover.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut