In the shadow of the decline in the number of tests, the Ministry of Health announced that one of the institute's laboratories will also be recruited for corona tests.

• Corona tests are transferred to the Weizmann Institute // Photo: Ministry of Health

The Health Ministry signed an agreement with the Weizmann Institute on Friday to use the laboratory at the Institute for Corona testing.

In a statement issued by the ministry, it said that "the lab will start operating immediately, starting today, at the rate of about 1,000 tests a day."

The Ministry of Health's announcement comes on the back of reports of a significant drop in corona testing, despite the announcement two weeks ago that the number of tests is expected to rise to 30,000 tests a day. In the past few days, there has been a shortage of chemicals needed for the test, which may delay the increase in the number of tests.

Three days ago, it was reported that Israel has signed an agreement with the Chinese company BGI, which will provide equipment and materials for performing at least ten thousand more PCR tests a day. According to the ministry's announcement, "the devices will be placed in six laboratories of the HMOs over the next two weeks - and will join the labs that already exist in the health system." It was also reported that the total cost of the transaction is NIS 90 million.

Shnir Zeno, CEO of AID GENOMICS World Group, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Ministry of Health and on the trust we have given to carry out this important national mission. Our key goal, with our BGI partners, is to help fight the spread of the Corona virus in Israel."

At the same time, in light of the criticisms voiced, the Ministry of Health decided on a new policy that would examine all residents of the nursing homes where Corona patients were discovered. It should be noted that the decision was made only after 19 tenants in various nursing homes died from Corona. ABA Chairman (Association of Nursing Homes and Sheltered Housing), Roni Ozeri, was not impressed by the announcement, noting that it came only after Attorney Ilan Bombach petitioned on behalf of the High Court: "Strange that only the Supreme Court of AB A causes the Ministry of Health to announce corona tests in nursing homes and sheltered housing.

We do not want to speculate on how many patients and how many dead people have paid in their lives until the Ministry of Health agreed to accept the ABA requirement, which was heard at the beginning of the crisis about a month ago. The test will be whether the Ministry of Health will actually reach these institutions immediately. "