Israel is preparing for additional coronavirus waves and the possibility of an overflow of hospitalized patients in need of respiratory assistance but its work is far from complete.

According to a health ministry report on Tuesday, only 5% of the respirators that Israel ordered since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis have arrived.

The report said that the disappointing results were due to “frequent cancellations and low supply reliability.” According to a Yisrael Hayom report, only 707 respirators out of the 15,000 that Israel ordered have been received.

Through a variety of means, Israel obtained 2,229 respirators over the past few months and now has a total of 5,372 respirators.

Another 3,203 respirators are expected to arrive this month, 3,500 in July, and 1,749 in August.

It remains to be seen, as Israel prepares for the upcoming winter with fears of increased hospitalizations due a COVID-19 wave during the flu season, whether the shipments will actually arrive.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)