Israel reports second coronavirus death

Israeli health officials reported a second death due to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday.

An Israeli woman died from the virus at the Wolfson Medical Center in the city of Holon, the hospital reported.

The 67-year-old suffered from "a serious preexisting medical condition," it said.

Israel's coronavirus infections rose to 1,656 on Tuesday after 214 new cases were detected, according to the Health Ministry.

A statement by the ministry said 31 patients were in critical condition, while 49 have recovered from the virus.

Israel confirmed its first death from the disease on Friday.

The country has taken several measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, including closing down cafes, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and entertainment venues.

Last week, the Israeli government decided to track confirmed and suspected coronavirus patients by monitoring their cell phones as part of its fight against the outbreak.

COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and has spread to at least 169 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global pandemic.

There have been over 395,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide since last December and the death toll now tops 17,000 while over 103,000 people have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.