Bleak statistic comes as this month's death toll exceeds 1,000, compared to January's 674 fatalities; severe cases continue to fall and stand at 775; 17,658 Israelis test positive for coronavirus

A report by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics shows that after almost 3 decades of steady increase, in 2020 there was a 2.6% decline in births; still remains highest birth rate among OECD countries