JERUSALEM (VINnews) — During the first months of coronavirus, Israel’s mortality rate from the virus was extremely low compared with world figures and people could claim that there is no excess mortality due to the virus in comparison with regular years. In other words, the same number of people who had died from the virus could theoretically have died from other diseases in another year.
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However statistics released from the last two months reveal that there is indeed excess mortality in Israel and it can be directly traced to coronavirus.
During August 3,840 people died in Israel as compared with 3,495 in August 2019- a rise of 10% in mortality despite the fact that the population only grew by 2%. The increase roughly corresponds to the 377 people reported by the Health Ministry to have died from COVID-19 during August. Health Ministry officials said that the excess mortality was particularly noticeable in the 75 years and older age group.
During July, 3,678 people died in Israel as compared with 3,433 in July 2019- a 7% rise from the previous year. During July the Health Ministry reported 232 deaths which also corresponds to the incremental difference from the previous year.
September has already seen more than 350 deaths from coronavirus in Israel and these figures will probably also lead to an incremental rise in mortality as compared with the previous year.
Israel has seen 1,316 deaths from the virus up to September 23rd, placing it in the 51st place in the world in the number of deaths per million (140) as opposed to the world average of 125.2 per million. The highest positions are occupied by Belgium (858 per million), Spain (649 pm) Brazil (649 pm), the US (620 pm), Sweden (580 pm) France (481 pm), Iran (293 pm) Switzerland (237 pm) and Portugal (189 pm).
you still don’t lock down the society for that particularly when the people who are dying are people who don’t leave the house anyway – old people, no need to lock down the young