An Israeli hospital said Thursday a man who was reported to have died from the omicron variant of the coronavirus was found to have the delta variant.
Israeli health officials reported the death earlier this week. It would have been the country’s first omicron casualty, The Associated Press said.
Soroka Hospital, located in the southern city of Beersheba, said that final test results from the Israeli Health Ministry indicated the man was infected with delta.
Israel has identified 341 cases of omicron. It has greatly restricted air traffic in and out of the country and is imposing a series of public restrictions to prevent the spread of the highly contagious variant.
The Health Ministry director is also considering whether to administer a second booster shot to at-risk groups, following a recommendation by a medical advisory group.
Israel, a country of 9.3 million people, has reported over 8,200 COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic.
