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Second corona wave may arrive this summer, says Health Ministry deputy director

A “number of scenarios” are being mapped out by the ministry in case a second coronavirus wave hits in the coming months, said Israel’s Health Ministry deputy director.

By Aaron Sull, World Israel News

Despite a significant drop in the rate of infection over the past few weeks, Israel is taking no chances in case a second wave hits over the summer, said Health Ministry Deputy Director Prof. Itamar Grotto.

“I truly hope that we do not see additional rises,” Grotto told Army Radio on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Israel should “prepare for the possibility that something will appear in the summer,” and a “number of scenarios” are being mapped out by the ministry in case a second coronavirus wave hits in the coming months, Grotto said.

The Health Ministry announced on Sunday that the number of confirmed coronavirus infections stands at 16,458 with a total of 248 deaths.

Over the past few weeks, Israel has lifted many of its coronavirus restrictions with the majority of schools and businesses reopened to the public.

Last Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel plans to abolish all restrictions on June 14, provided that no red flags indicate heightened risks of infection.

As a precaution, Netanyahu announced that Israel will use three criteria to determine if Israel needs to reimpose restrictions. Specifically, Israel will monitor whether: (1) 100 new cases arise in one day, (2) cases double within 10 days, and (3) hospitals report 250 severe cases of the virus.

Whether the coronavirus pandemic will dissipate in the summer is still yet to be seen.

In a global study published on Friday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers studied the pandemic’s spread in 144 countries over the month of March and found no evidence that countries with warmer weather had any advantage over those with colder climates.